


Constant Troubles

by skyestar7703



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Asano Gakushuu, BAMF Shiota Nagisa, Don't Starve Together AU, Fluff and Angst, Lots of Angst, Multi, Playing the game not required for reading the fanfic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Temporary Character Death, bamf everyone really, don't worry they get better
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:20:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 68,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21815062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skyestar7703/pseuds/skyestar7703
Summary: As dangerous as a world with Korosensei in it is, it's nothing compared to the dangers of the Constant, an island separated from reality itself, where death is temporary but every day is a constant fight for survival. Lucky, they've got each other - except when they don't.A.K.A five Kunugigaoka kids find themselves in a survival game, and all that entails.
Relationships: Akabane Karma/Asano Gakushuu
Comments: 184
Kudos: 253





	1. Firsts

**Author's Note:**

> Every time I think I can't come up with a more ridiculous idea with such a small niche of potential audience, I get one, and then I have to write it down. As said in the notes, this is based off the survival game "Don't Starve Together", although if you haven't played or watched it, don't worry. I hope you enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gakushuu is the first to arrive in the Constant. He's not the last, but he doesn't know that yet.

Gakushuu wakes up with a rather large headache, and a rather well dressed older man standing over him. 

“Say kiddo, you don’t look so good.” The man has a fancy pinstripe suit with a red flower in his pocket, and a condescending smirk that would fit almost perfectly on his father’s face. Gakushuu hates him immediately. “First time in the Constant, hm? You’d better find something to eat before night comes.” And with that, there’s a small _poof_ , the man is gone.

Gakushuu sits up with a groan, the headache fading away surprisingly fast. The first thing he notices is that he’s surrounded by short grass and birch trees. A check behind him reveals some sort of grassland. To his left, water and harsh waves against a cliffside. Nothing to indicate where he’s ended up, no houses or stacks of smoke visible to point him in the direction of civilization. He pulls himself to his feet, and checks his pockets. His phone is gone, as is the small amount of money he was carrying on him.

How did he get here? The last thing he remembers, he was in his room, doing a bit of summer studying and trying not to fume over the fact that E Class is going to get that vacation on Okinawa instead of him this summer break. After that, everything seems blurry, and then he was in this place. So what could have come in between these memories?

Further attempts at piecing together the puzzle come up short, and Gakushuu can’t help but release a small sigh in frustration. Perhaps it would be best to look around before drawing a conclusion.

That man called this place The Constant? The way he said it… Gakushuu involuntarily shivers. There’s a feeling pressing down upon him, one that tells him he’s not going to be able to find his way home. He shakes his head, trying to ignore it. _Focus_. 

Besides trees and grass, there’s some bushes filled with unidentified berries, some rocks and what looks oddly enough like flint, as well as some rabbits and birds. Gakushuu decides to grab the flint, as that seems generally useful, and examines the berries. They’re red, which could mean just about anything when it comes to edible or not. However, they are aggregated, so there’s a very good possibility they are. 

Gakushuu looks closer. He’s never seen these types of berries before. That chill comes back to him, stronger than before, and it’s harder to ignore. He decides to take some with him, just in case, and scratches an ‘X’ one of the trees to mark his spot before venturing away from where he woke up. 

There are flowers of all different kinds, and while some look like daisies, others he can’t identify. Many of the birds he sees look like Cardinals, and a few Crows, but he isn’t able to get close enough to tell for sure. 

Eventually, Gakushuu reaches a small cliff over what has to be the ocean, with its constant dark waves crashing against the side of the ground, most likely connected to what he saw when first waking up. Gakushuu could keep going around the edge, hoping to either find a beach, or if he’s on a peninsula, the mainland. 

But there’s something in his gut that tells him he is on an island. And something deeper, telling him there’s nothing else out there, besides the Constant. 

He’s a _long_ way from home. 

Gakushuu takes a deep breath and lets it out. There’s no reason for him to panic. Not only does he have training for this sort of thing, training his father set up for him a while back, but he didn’t get to where he is now, Student Council President of A Class, and first on finals, just to panic at a situation like this. He’ll find a way home, he’s sure of it. 

Gakushuu decides to head back to where he started. It’s a decent enough place, with trees if he needs shelter, and those berry bushes he hopes are edible, but hopes to find out for sure. He makes sure to collect plenty of grasses along the way, as well as any sticks and seeds lying around. There’s a strange lump in the ground, that opens up into a circular mouth with many teeth as he passes. Gakushuu suppress a shudder, and wonders just where he ended up. 

It starts to get dark, and he decides to start a fire, checking the berries for poison before coming to the conclusion that they’re most likely not, and deciding to try a couple. They’re frustratingly good, not because they blow other berries out of the water in terms of taste, but because he can’t compare them to any other berries, no matter how hard he tries. 

Still, he doesn’t know how much these berries can sustain him, or how many there are in this place, or the rate at which they grow. Considering how many rabbits he saw earlier, he’d have a much better chance at being sustained if he went hunting.  
_  
Ugh._ He knew it was necessary, of course, but he was never a fan of the process. Still, he needed to survive long enough to understand what was going on, and how to get home. Avoiding food was mostly likely a luxury he couldn’t afford. 

A slight wind picks up and he shivers, hovering closer to the fire, and Gakushuu’s glad he was at least able to bring his coat with him to the Constant. He should put out the fire and try to get some sleep, but the warmth is too nice, and there are too many questions for him to expect any success. 

Who was that man, the one who leered over him as he woke up in this place? There was something vaguely inhuman about him, even before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. His skin, his eyes… he could pass for human, but he was too unsettling. Gakushuu’s never seen anything like him. He has no idea who that man is, or what he goes by.

_Maxwell_ , something in his mind supplies, _the Shadow King_. 

That just brings up more unsettling thoughts. What does “Shadow King” mean, exactly? And, more importantly, how did he know that? It was the same as earlier, that sense he had that he couldn’t go home. 

_Something about this place is very wrong. I’m not supposed to be here_. 

Gakushuu would’ve thought that the night would drag on, considering he was alone with only his thoughts, but he is alone most nights, and it passes by before his fire goes out completely.

* * *

It’s his second day in the Constant when Gakushuu realizes just how different things are on this strange island. And not just because of the strange flora and fauna. 

He had spent the earlier parts of the day setting up makeshift rabbit traps, as well as makeshift axes to get some more wood. It was the tree that had fallen first, and that was how he had discovered just how _off_ everything was. 

Because while normally it would take a long time for a tree to be chopped down and turned into logs, especially for someone like him, who wasn’t exactly an expert, not only did it fall fast, but the trunk was a pile of logs before he even realized what he was doing.

Perhaps this place affected perception of time? Or maybe it functioned somewhat like a game, where downed objects become item drops of sorts. 

Whatever the case, Gakushuu decides to continue to treat the Constant like he’s in reality. It wouldn’t do to assume the impossible, and then have it not come true. 

At the end of the day, he settles around his campfire and roasts the rabbit that he caught, stack of wood and pile of berries lying next to him. He wonders if anyone else is stuck here in the Constant, besides that Maxwell man. It’s not that he’s lonely, he’s gone far longer than this without company, and in fact the quietness of nature is somewhat peaceful. But two or more heads are better than one when it comes to survival and possibly getting home. 

Gakushuu yawns and puts out the fire, in part to make sure it doesn’t spread, but also because he has no idea what lurks in these woods, and doesn’t want to attract anything. He can sleep in the darkness for now, although he should work on a shelter of some sort. 

Not much more than ten seconds after being plunged into darkness, and there’s a noise, something much like hissing and then something strikes him, and Gakushuu barely has any time to scream as whatever the thing is rakes its claws across his face and chest, and there’s _pain, so much pain_ , and then it strikes again and again, tearing him to shreds, and he can’t _fight_ it-

And then there is nothing, and Gakushuu is looking down and there’s a skeleton right below him. Is that his? He can’t see anything but eyes peering out from inside the darkness at him, and he can’t shiver, because he can’t feel his _arms_ -

Morning comes, and out of desperation, Gakushuu tries to go back to his own damn skeleton. There’s a flash of lighting, and it’s as though he’s being squeezed and pulled in all sorts of different directions, but Gakushuu lands on his feet, fully human again, with the skeleton lying right next to him. 

He sits down. Remembers how to breath.

_Focus. Take stock of your situation_.

Right. Fact One: Gakushuu had just… died. Had just been murdered by some creature in the darkness. He struggles to control his breathing. Fact Two: He had somehow come back to life in the morning, right after trying to go back to - to his skeleton. Was it just his skeleton that could bring him back, or could other things? He’s not sure yet, and isn’t too keen on experimenting. Perhaps if he dies again. _Breathe_. 

Fact Three: Whatever that creature was, it only came out at night, and only when Gakushuu was in complete darkness. This would imply the fire was what was keeping him safe the previous night, and if he wanted to avoid - avoid what just happened again, he needed to keep the fire burning. 

The creature didn’t seem to have taken his wood or food, which means there’s at least one good thing about all this.Still, Gakushuu needs an actual fire pit, and some shelter, as soon as possible. He doesn’t know if a shelter will keep the creature out, but there’s no harm in trying. He’s already starting to feel tired after almost two days of no sleep. He needs to be able to rest safely.

* * *

As Gakushuu ties up the last knot in his tent, he lets out a long breath of relief and exhaustion, freezes up and waits for some comment from his father on how pathetic he is for having taken so long to make such a small thing, then remembers his father isn’t here, and no one besides Maxwell could’ve heard him. And considering he hasn’t seen Maxwell since he arrived on the constant a week ago, he doubts the man will mock him for it. 

Of course, his father wouldn’t understand just how much of a chore getting the materials had been. Some were easy, like making rope and gathering logs and twigs, but then he needed silk, which had meant exploring north until he had found an actual fucking spider’s next bigger than him. He had been killed twice by the spiders before finishing them off and getting the silk. Dying from spider venom had hurt almost as much as dying had the second night, but he had succeeded, and was now reaping the rewards. 

“Well how about that,” he muses. Then pauses. No one is around. No one can hear him.

Gakushuu’s not lonely, he’s _not_. In fact, it would’ve been embarrassing for anyone to have been around while he struggled to get such a simple structure working. With no one around to see his failings, he can still hold his head up high when he gets home, with none of them the wiser. 

(And he’s definitely not making excuses for himself, that would be ridiculous.)

He needs more grass, and maybe some of that extra silk, to line the bottom of the tent with. He might as well sleep comfortably, after all.

* * *

Unfortunately, it takes all morning for Gakushuu to shake off his dignity and do what needs to be done. 

He’s got rabbit traps all over, and even some bird traps, and they’ve been working very well. But he wants something more stable, and that means not only relocating the berry bushes closer around his campfire, but fertilizing them. And of course, manure is the best option for fertilizer he has.

It’s disgusting. He’s going to need an extra shovel, because he doesn’t want to use the one he has for other purposes, or god forbid his hands. So by the time he finally sets out, it’s already the afternoon.

Before, he’s always gone north, through the grasslands, woods, and the rocky areas beyond that. This time, he ventures south into the plains, and he can already hear noises coming from a large animal. This could be either promising or disastrous.

Thankfully, it’s the former. _Beefalo_ look a lot like buffalo, although their odd shapes keep him from mixing the two up. There are tons of them, and they simply ignore him as he moves on by. Lucky for him… as it were, there is plenty of manure lying around, and because he really doesn’t want to starve, Gakushuu plugs his nose and carries it all back to camp. 

He would like to come back though, if he can. It’s the first time he’s seen creatures that don’t attack him or run from him, and their fur looks really soft. Even if he isn’t able to shave it off, although he hopes to, he’d like to be able to touch it. He knows he could make some sort of razor if he wanted, maybe he’ll give it a try.

* * *

He’s out mining gold (because yes, the Constant does in fact appear to have gold chunks that can be found within rocks, and he isn’t complaining), when he hears the growling of something doglike, followed by quick footsteps. 

Attached to those sounds appear to be some kind of hound, dark plump, and angry, with a mouth that can open as wide as its entire body, and very sharp teeth. Considering how fast the thing is moving, Gakushuu won’t be able to run. He switches out his pickaxe in his handmade backpack for a spear and prepares himself. 

As soon as the hound is almost on him, Gakushuu jumps upwards, driving the spear down on the hound’s head as it passes under him. The hound shrieks and trips, and Gakushuu repeats, driving the spear down again and again before the monster finally dies. 

There’s no time to relax, or reflect on how easily he was able to kill the thing, before two more hounds are charging him down. He manages to dodge and repeat his trick with the second hound, but the third seems much smarter, and latches its teeth onto his arm as he goes down.

A scream rips from his throat - he can feel his arm being ripped off of him, not quite at that point yet, but still tearing and painful. On instinct, he spins around and drives the spear through the hounds stomach, which kills the damn thing almost instantly, before it fades away with the others. 

A quick check at his arm shows it to be as utterly disgusting as he feels. Gakushuu looks away before bile can rise to his throat. He’s got a couple wraps in his backpack, and plenty of roasted berries and carrots back at his camp, which seem to do the trick with the small cuts he gets, healing them almost instantly, leaving almost no scar behind. He doesn’t know if they’ll work for something this big, but he’d rather try something than do nothing and bleed to death. 

Although he has to wonder if dying would fix his injuries. Gakushuu shoves the idea away. He’d rather not die at all anymore, if he can help it. 

(Of course, it would be very useful if he had someone else to help tend to his wounds with him, even if that meant he would be tending to theirs in return. It strikes Gakushuu then, just how alone he is, out in the wilderness, bleeding to death where no one else can come and save him. Just one more causality in this dangerous place.)

Back to the camp it is.

* * *

He’s fishing at the pond when he notices the strange bone. It’s sticking straight up in the taller grass, looking like a fishbone of sorts, but with a closed eyeball in the middle. Full, healthy, and not carrying so many things that he would lose much if he died now, Gakushuu decides to pick it up.

Not more than a few seconds later, and a small odd creature trots up to him. It looks a bit like a furry pumpkin with horns and stubby legs, a chest-like opening instead of a regular mouth, tongue lolling down sideways. 

Curious, Gakushuu reaches down and feels the creatures fur. It’s soft and fuzzy. The little animal leans into his touch, looking and sounding rather happy. It then opens its mouth, revealing plenty of room for storage inside. A living, dog-like, chest. 

“Hey there,” he says softly, voice hoarse from weeks of little use besides screams of pain and muttered curses. “Is this yours?” He holds up the eyebone, and the little creature lets out a happy woof. It nudges his leg, and Gakushuu can’t help but smile. 

“You need a name.” He casts about for one, and the first thing that comes to mind might be another instinctual thought from the Constant, but he likes it nonetheless. “How does Chester sound to you?” Chester barks happily, the pun either lost on the little thing, or making it enjoy its name even more. 

“Would you like to come with me?” Perhaps it’s a bad idea to invite an unknown from the constant into his camp with him, but this is the first thing on the island that has not only not tried to kill him, but is actively happy to see him. He can’t help but want it around. 

In the end, Gakushuu comes back from the trip with plenty of fish and a new companion, making it one of his most successful endeavors.

* * *

Gakushuu doesn’t need his thermometer or the birds and bunny’s change in color to tell him it’s getting colder, he can feel that for himself. As soon as the chill started setting in, he started getting ready, making as much non perishable food as he could find, graduating from grass bed rolls to woolen bed rolls, made from beefalo tufts, fashining himself some gloves from tanned hide. He’s even got some earmuffs, although he’s working on an actual hat, as well as a warmer jacket. Not to mention he’s put all that mined stone to good use, placing a wall of sorts around his camp. 

Thank god for the odd way this world is structured, he would never have been able to make these items otherwise. Knowledgeable as he is, he doesn’t know everything. 

Still, the colder it gets, the more his nerves start to get the better of him. Not just because he knows it will be harder to survive once the cold really sets in, but also because it means more time has passed than he had realized. Or has it? When he came to the constant, summer vacation had just begun. Now winter was setting in, meaning he was missing a great chunk of the second half of the school year. Even if he got back, how far behind his classmates would he be? Forget losing the Okinawa vacation to E Class, he was going to lose everything if he didn’t find a way home soon.

Maybe he already had. Lost everything, that is. 

Gakushuu keeps by the fire, stroking his fingers through Chester’s hair, the little chest sitting by his side contentedly. It’s certainly become far more bearable with Chester by his side. As much as Gakushuu hates to admit it, he wasn’t sure how much more he could take without any company. 

It’s not enough, sometimes. He misses human touch. Maybe not his father’s, since the man never gave him so much as a pat on the shoulder. And most of his classmates wouldn’t dare. (Why wouldn’t they? Was he really so aloof that none of them really felt comfortable around him? He was paying for that now.) But the virtuosos dared, and sometimes Gakushuu aches for when Ren would occasionally swing his arm around him. 

He shivers. The fire isn’t doing nearly as much to keep him warm as it used to, even though the light is still going strong. A part of him just wants to stay in his tent all winter and alternate between curling up in his bed roll and sitting by the fire, but for now, he still has a lot of work to do.

* * *

It keeps getting colder. 

It’s snowing constantly, and Gakushuu needs to keep to tent door closed at all times to prevent the stuff from getting in and messing up his only constant place of warmth. He wasn’t able to make his vest or hat in time, and knows he can’t risk going back to the spider nests for more silk. So for now he needs to deal with what he has. 

Gakushuu is attacked by hounds again, twice, except he needs to conserve his food, which means healing from each wound much slower than he would like. The original bite on his arm did heal up, but there’s an ugly scar where it once was, and is soon joined by a few more. Apparently healing only goes so far.

His crops have stopped growing, as he suspected they would, and he makes sure to ration all his greens as much as he possibly can, setting as many bird and rabbit traps as possible. Still, meat like that expires easily, so he has to eat it fast. 

The chill of winter is everywhere, seeping into his bones in a way he can’t seem to escape from. Despite his efforts, Gakushuu can feel his movements getting sluggish as the days go on, his feet nearing frostbite, his head pounding. 

His mind is still running just as quickly, which is almost worse, because it’s like a lightswitch was flipped, and now Gakushuu can finally see just how alone he really is. He keeps Chester by him at all times, and is thankful that the little guy is so accommodating, because it’s all he can do to remind himself that there’s at least one thing on his side, one thing that wants to be near him. 

What is everyone doing now, back at home? He isn’t quite sure what day it is, have they reached finals yet? He’s sure that he missed midterms, at the very least. Are people looking for him? Are Ren and Araki and Seo and Koyama worried for him? Is E Class celebrating the fact that he’s gone?

What does his father think? Does Father even care?

“Do you even care that I’m gone?” He whispers. His voice croaks, and even so, he knows there’s no way for his father to hear him. “Did you ever care at all?” Something wet is rolling down his face and freezing, and it takes Gakushuu a minute to realize that they’re tears. “Have you looked for me at all?”

No answer. He didn’t expect one, but….

“Maxwell,” he says softly. Then louder, as loud as his voice allows at the moment. “Maxwell! Can you hear me?”

Something moves beyond the light of his campfire, and the strange man from his first day hovers on the edge of the light. “Hello there, kiddo. In a bit of a rough spot?”

It takes Gakushuu a moment to recover from the shock of actually having someone respond to his words. Then he glares at the other man. “Why am I here? You brought me here, didn’t you? Why?” Truth be told, he’s not sure if what he’s saying is true. His memories of entering the Constant are still missing. Still, it’s as good of a guess as any. 

Maxwell raises an eyebrow, smirk curling on his lips. “You don’t remember? Funny, you seem to remember my name just fine. How amusing. Oh dear, I hope you don’t continue to blame me for your misfortune. And right after demanding I show up!”

Something about him is dangerous and not human. “Still, I admire your tenacity. Perhaps a little gift? I think you’ll quite enjoy the material you get from this one. And at your unfortunately high level of sanity as well! You really do know how to get what you want from others, don’t you?” His tone is mocking, his smile sharp and condescending.

He disappears, and out of the shadows comes a shadow itself, scurrying around like a massive bug - or crab. Maybe a mix of both? 

It comes at Gakushuu, dark and hissing, and Shuu has no choice but to fight it off. 

The crawling horror is gone, and Gakushuu is cold and bleeding all over. There’s something black swirling on the ground, an odd sort of item that Maxwell may have been referring to when he mentioned a “gift”.

_Nightmare Fuel_ , his mind supplies. Peachy. He has no idea what to do with it. 

His food stores are on the other side of his camp. Gakushuu makes it a couple steps before collapsing in the snow, just far away enough from the fire that the heat barely reaches him at all. He can see his blood seeping into the snow. 

What the hell is he doing? What the hell has he been doing? All that work for winter amounted to nothing. Training himself to fight hounds and capture food and farm - there’s never been any point to it. He’s just going to die again and again and again. He can’t escape the Constant. He can’t escape this cycle.

And who would be waiting for him? Who really wants him home? His father doesn’t give a shit. He would blame Gakushuu for failing, tell him that if he can’t make it out of the Constant himself, he doesn’t deserve to be rescued. His classmates? He barely knows most of them. The virtuosos may be sad, but he’s sure they’ll move on. 

Trying to uncover E Class’ secrets, trying to make top grades, trying to one-up his father, it all feels so pointless now.

Maxwell must’ve brought him here, and is clearly no friend. The man looked like he would enjoy watching Gakushuu suffer. In fact, he’s probably enjoying his suffering right now.

Who would care if he froze and bleed to death here in the snow?

It takes a moment for Gakushuu to realize Chester is curled up under his arm, numb as that appendage is. He’s nudging him, trying to get him to move. Gakushuu appreciates the effort. He’d hug the chest-dog, but everything is going numb, and he can’t move his arms.

He’s so tired. 

Gakushuu dies quickly after that, the pain that comes with freezing melting away. A part of him wants to just move on, to not worry anymore.

He resurrects himself in the morning.

* * *

The drying rack is the best thing Gakushuu’s made so far. Well, that and the thermal stone, which he can’t quite explain, but if he heats it up by the fire long enough, then takes it with him, he can travel about and still stay warm, which means he’s finally able to survive long enough to die at the spider’s nest a couple times, and finally get some silk to finish his winter hat and jacket.

With those items on, moving about is so much easier, and so is building the drying rack, where he can finally dry out meats and make jerky. So simple in concept, but considering how much he needs meat to sustain him at the moment, it’s a lifesaver.

“What do you think?” He asks Chester one day, as he takes the jerky off the rack. “I don’t suppose you need to eat, do you?” He doesn’t seem to, considering he hasn’t eaten at all since they’ve met, but it seems strange not to ask. 

There’s a penguin’s nest nearby, and while he feels somewhat bad about it, one night he takes a torch while they’re sleeping and steals some eggs. Not all of them, but a few. They’re the first eggs Gakushuu has had in a while, and they’re delicious.

They find a few oddly shaped log houses that make Gakushuu twinge in jealousy (as well as hunger), but the inhabitants are odd to say the least. Giant pig-men with little kilts that walk on their hind legs and scream all of their words, both at him and at each other. 

Still, they seem to be doing well for themselves, even in the winter, with flowers, berry bushes, and carrots blooming around their houses.

“Can I take some?” He asks a nearby pigman. “I’ll trade you.” He holds out some of his jerky. The pig eats the jerky, and utter delight covers his face.

“YOU IS GOOD! WILL FIGHT FOR YOU IF NEEDED,” the pigman says. Not exactly what he was hoping for, but Gakushuu counts it as a win. He does manage to get home with the first carrots he’s had since the beginning of winter. 

He’s out gathering supplies when he just so happens to stray into the path of two oddly dressed walking walruses, who promptly start attacking him with blow darts. Gakushuu manages to avoid almost all of the hits, then remembers what that pigman said, about how he would fight for Gakushuu. He’s not sure if that still holds up, but it sounds easier than taking on those massive beasts by himself. 

He stays just out of their range of fire, slowly drawing them closer and closer to the pigmen houses. He hopes that at least that one pigman would come to his aid, but is more than pleasantly surprised when the entire village of them band together with him to beat up the walruses, punching with their many fists while Gakushuu attacks with his spear. In the end, he finds himself with a blow dart of his own, as well as enough meat to last him for quite a while.

He feels another pang as he looks over at the pigman. He knows he’s got a decent camp set up, but… they may not be the smartest of company, but at least they’re _some_ sort of company. He’ll take what he can get at this point.

He turns to one of the pigman. “Do you think I could stay around here for a while?”

But the pigman shakes his head. “YOU IS FRIEND, BUT NOT PIGMAN. NO STAY.” And that’s the end of that. 

It isn’t so bad. He can always come back… but they most likely won’t enjoy his continued presence. As much as it pains him, Gakushuu is back to being alone again.

* * *

It’s a full moon, and Gakushuu is going grave-digging. 

Morbid, he knows. But he dug one up a few days ago to fling at an attacking spider, and had found a strange red gem that warmed his hands up on the way back to camp. He’s not sure if that was a one time thing or not, but he’d like to find out. 

There normally isn’t enough light from the sky in the Constant to see anywhere beyond the campfire glow at night, but the moon is so bright tonight, it lights up the whole Constant, and the dark monster is nowhere to be found. A perfect time for trying something new without worrying about the darkness.

It’s funny. After that massive monster about a week ago, the one with tons of hair, a giant eye, and long claws that sprung up ice wherever it hit the ground, Gakushuu wonders if he can really be scared of anything anymore. He died at least four times to that thing, either being frozen or mauled to death. In the end, he figured out where and how to hit, and managed not just to get tons of fur and meat, but a giant eye for his efforts. 

For the most part, he finds odd trinkets, a couple gears, a strange pulsing amulet, and plenty of cold blue gems. He keeps the gears, trinkets, and amulet stuffed in his backpack, and hands the blue gems over to Chester while he searches for another red one. Who knows? Maybe he could use it for some of the inventions he was trying out with the science and alchemy machines he’d made.

Gakushuu sighs as he digs up a ninth blue gem, putting it in Chester’s last storage spot. All that work for more cold gems. He’s had enough of the cold with winter still going strong, although it’s been slightly warmer the past couple days. 

A bright light shines on Chester as he rises into the air for a moment, then turns white and settles back down on the ground. Curious, Gakushuu walks over, and Chester opens up. The blue gems are gone, but when Gakushuu puts his hand inside, it feels like he’s put his hand in an icebox. 

“You just got an upgrade, didn’t you?” He says out loud, patting Chester’s head. This, he knows, will be extremely useful. 

Then a ghost comes out of the grave, and Gakushuu has to run for his life again.

* * *

The days finally get warmer. The snow melts, and the days get longer. It’s raining constantly now, so he fashions himself an umbrella, and carries it with him at all times. Seeing as he’s already usually wet, he decides to venture into the swamplands. How bad could they be, really?

Very bad, it seems. But as bad as the murderous frogs are, the tentacles are worse. Gakushuu dies three times to one, as it smacks the wind out of him, then smashes him to the ground, busting his head open over and over. But his backpack has dropped within its reach, and even if he’s put away much of his pride since coming to the Constant, Gakushuu still needs the supplies. So he fashions himself some makeshift armor of logs and rope, grabs one of his spears that Chester is storing, and dives back in. 

It takes a frustratingly long time, and much of Gakushuu’s athletic and gymnastics abilities, diving in and hitting, then flipping away from the tentacle’s reach, but eventually he wears it down, and with a final stab, the tentacle is finished, leaving behind some sort of spiked mace, or bat. Gakushuu decides to keep it, and heads out after grabbing as many reeds as he can hold.

The spike proves very efficient against frogs, which is good, because Gakushuu might not be able to stand it if he were killed by frogs, of all things. 

And then, of course, a massive monster with the body of a goose and the head of a moose just so happens to show up, along with her ducklings, because there was no way things were just going to get easier for him.

* * *

As if things couldn’t get stranger, it is now literally raining frogs. 

This was more than annoying at first, because frogs just seemed to hate him with a passion, trying to attack him wherever he goes. Eventually, to get rid of them, he leads them over to the beefalo. They’re apparently in mating season, and don’t want anything on their turf at this point, so they go right after the frogs. 

The frogs do succeed in taking down one beefalo, and while Gakushuu feels bad, he is able to snag the horns out of that mess, which could be useful later on. Also frog legs. So many frog legs. Looks like the crock pot and ice cooler are going to be filled for a long time.

* * *

There’s an odd carpeted area of the woods, in the center of which is a very evil looking statue of Maxwell, and around which are strange mechanical monsters. They’re not nearly as tough as many of the things Gakushuu has faced, and clearing them all out is a cinch. They drop gears, as expected (and useful since he was hoping to make some more coolers), but also purple gems, which unlike the heat of the reds, or the chill of the blues, gives Gakushuu a distinct sense of paranoia when he holds on.

He decides to store them away in Chester. Perhaps they can be used alongside nightmare fuel? He’ll need to do some experimenting to figure that out.

Gakushuu starts to walk away from the statue, but on instinct, turns back and flips the effigy of Maxwell off. It doesn’t summon the bastard or help him in any way, but he feels a little better for it.

* * *

Maybe it could be considered stupid to walk down a staircase in a sinkhole, but Gakushuu is all good on supplies, has amassed a rather sturdy and protected base, and is all good on food and supplies. He’s got torches and makeshift lanterns just waiting to be lit, and with Chester by his side, he feels more than prepared.

They walk down the stairs together, which eventually level out, and Gakushuu finds himself in what has to be the largest cave he’s ever seen, filled with all new sorts of flora, and most likely fauna as well. 

At this point, he’s not surprised in the slightest when he sees plants with glowing light bulbs blooming instead of flowers. Only in the constant, he supposes. And there could be plenty of uses for them. He decides to pick a few. 

It’s not just the flowers. Mushroom trees give off erie glows, shining on regular evergreens and berry bushes. The grass rustles in the nonexistent wind.

...If there’s berry bushes, trees, and grass glowing down in these caves, then there’s a chance he can set up a second base down here. 

A part of Gakushuu wonders what the point would be, considering how well his original base is doing. But what could be the harm? Are these caves colder or warmer in the winter? Logic would dictate the former, but the Constant doesn’t ever rely on logic. 

Not to mention that the days are getting even warmer, and if winter was so terribly cold, there’s always a chance that summer will be unbearably hot. Making a base down in the caves could negate those effects. 

His mind made up, Gakushuu gets to work, relocating plants for farms, setting up a second tent and bedroll, and getting a firepit in place. He picks more lightbulbs, and relocates as many as he can, replanting them around the area he’s chosen. With all that light, hopefully he’ll never have to worry about the monster in the dark. 

Does that thing come down here? Gakushuu would rather not take the chance.

* * *

Interestingly enough, he doesn’t get the chance to use his new camp for a while. 

Summer burns through the constant like a wildfire, setting everything around Gakushuu ablaze. He avoids his regular camp more and more, as his things only seem to catch on fire when he is physically there. He suspects Maxwell is messing with him.

Overheating has become an issue, and Gakushuu has taken to wearing light shirts and keeping his umbrella around, if only for the shade it provides. He visits his cave camp more frequently. Chester and his icebox insides are a lifesaver, and he’s taken to placing iceboxes in the different areas he visits to always have something cool on tap.

It’s during one of these trips, with multiple bags, gears, and a premade icebox all ready to go, that Gakushuu finally finds out what those strange gaping mouths in the ground do. One fallen log and too much baggage, and Gakushuu is tumbling into the mouth-

-and being spit up again somewhere completely different. He hacks and coughs as sand fills his lungs, whipping around his face and tearing at his skin. Some sort of sandstorm? It seems likely. 

The weight of all he’s carrying, combined with the sweltering heat finally proves too much for him, and Gakushuu collapses. He only dies much later, of course, from heat, dehydration, and starvation, but at least he recovers enough once resurrected to keep going. And at least Chester is still with him. 

Unable to find that strange mouth that appeared to be some kind of wormhole, Gakushuu decides to keep walking forward. If he goes on long enough, he’ll reach the end of the desert, and while he might die a few times beforehand, he’s gone too far to go back now. 

Gakushuu doesn’t reach the end of the desert first. Instead, he finds a circle of birch trees around a group of grass, and a lake in the middle. The sandstorm stops once inside, and he finds himself cooling down instantly. Gakushuu finally drops his things.

“What do you think?” He says to Chester. “Looks like we’ll be here for a while.”

* * *

So, there just so happens to be another giant in the desert, something the Constant has named the Antlion. Antlion isn’t so bad, all things considered. She did cause some tremors and earthquakes, and almost destroyed Gakushuu’s new base in the oasis once, but he’s discovered that giving her little gifts seem to appease her. 

And of course the lake is wonderful. Sometimes he does manage to get some fish out of it, but plenty of times he finds himself opening odd packages, which contain both more trinkets, as well as the blueprints needed for him to figure out how to craft some desert goggles, which means he can finally travel back to the wormhole, and by extension his cave base, without any more issues. 

While the light flowers can’t be transferred to the surface, their light bulbs make the most efficient lanterns, and at night, Gakushuu sits outside by the lake, thinking over everything that has happened in the past year.

And it has been a year, hasn’t it? It was summer when he left the real world, and the beginning of autumn when he arrived in the Constant. It’s so strange; it doesn’t feel like a year at all. So much has happened to him, so much has changed. All the things he was worried about seem so small and petty now. On instinct, he checks his reflection - he still doesn’t look like he’s aged a single day. But all the scars, from places he was injured that never healed right, from hounds and tentacles, and burns and frostbite, and all those monsters he’d faced and overcome, they were all signs that all of this really happened.

He’s still lonely. It’s an ache that stays with him all the time, churning and at times unbearable. But there is nothing he can do about it. 

If he really isn’t aging, like he suspects, how long would he go on here? Would he spend all of eternity alone? That sounded more than awful, but a part of Gakushuu is too tired with worrying to do more than accept it.

Chester curls up next to him, and he absentmindedly strokes his fur. “It’ll be autumn soon,” he says softly. All his spoken words have been soft lately. There’s been no reason for anything else. “Guess we’ll be starting all over again.”

* * *

The summer ends, and temperatures cool down to a very bearable amount. Gakushuu goes back to his original camp, and is pleased to find it still very much intact, although a few changes might be necessary. 

Gakushuu hasn’t seen Maxwell since that night in winter, and he prefers to keep it that way. The closest thing he’s seen since then is that statue he occasionally visits to get more gears, and he tries not to look at it while fighting those robots. 

Gakushuu shifts the flower crown on his head slightly. It’s an odd look, he knows, but it’s better at keeping the shadow monsters away than almost anything else, so he wears one as much as he can. 

He’s finished preparing his latest sandwich and storing it in an icebox when he feels it. What “it” is, exactly, he isn’t sure, but there’s a tug inside him, directed to a strangely specific spot in one of the evergreen forests by the edge of the Constant. Odd emotions of confusion are floating around his mind, and he’s sure they aren’t his. Curious, Gakushuu tries to press further, to understand what he’s feeling.

And then he gets it. 

_There’s someone else in the Constant now._

And almost all of Gakushuu’s well-made self arguments about how he can do everything alone seems to fly out the window, because there is someone else, another _person_ , in the Constant and while he aches for them, that they now have to suffer as well, _he’s not alone anymore_. 

“Come on Chester,” he says. “Let’s go meet our new companion.”

* * *

Asano Gakushuu  
Nickname: The Survivor  
 _The first to be trapped in the constant, and with more than a year’s worth of experience of living alone, he is the go to guy for information and survival tips._  
Health: 150  
Hunger 150  
Sanity: 200  
Perk: Empathic Leader, can feel the locations and status of the other survivors, and what they need at the moment  
Disadvantage: Can feel when the other survivors are killed, does no favors for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And while this may have been a prequel of sorts to the real juice of the story, hopefully it was enjoyable. And next time, another student will enter the fray, with his own opinions, ideas, and frustrations. Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review!


	2. Cycles in Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma enters the Constant. Somehow, things work out.

Karma wakes, his head pounding. He lays there for a moment, trying to think beyond the pounding in his brain, but then the headache fades, and his mind clears up. What had happened? The last thing he remembered was Nagisa mentioning a trip with Sugino to look at some bugs, and then things got blurry.

He opens his eyes, finding himself surrounded by forests. The air is crisp, like the area has seen little to no civilization or industry. Birds and rabbits scamper around overhead and by his feet. How did he get here? Karma racks his brain for the answers but finds nothing that could help him figure out what was going on. He scrambles to his feet. 

Karma’s first thoughts go to Korosensei. Did he drop Karma off here for some reason? But that doesn’t seem quite right - it’s not like Sensei to pick someone up, put them in a forgien location, and then leave them to their own devices. The first two parts, yes. The last part, no. 

“Hey, Sensei?” He calls out, curious of his teacher is still in the area. “Nagisa?” There’s no answer. Karma’s eyes scan the surroundings, seeing no one familiar. Is he really on his own?

And if not because of Sensei, how did he get here?

His best best is to pick a direction and stick to it. Just standing here won’t help him find his way out of this mess. So Karma starts walking, going past not just the usual critters, but strange flowers and animals he’s never seen before.

Do those rabbits have _horns_? How did he miss that before?

Eventually, Karma finds himself at the edge of a small cliff, looking over choppy ocean water, like something out of a book, or a video game. 

Something uncomfortable stirs in his gut. 

_Why do I feel like there’s no way out of this place?_

“Akabane?”

The voice was so soft and hoarse, Karma almost doesn’t recognize it. He spins around to see Asano of all people, looking at him like he fell from the sky. He’s never seen anything like that expression on the other boy’s face before.

Relief and annoyance mix together. Relief that someone else seems to be here, and someone Karma is reasonably sure can hold his own in most situations. Annoyance, because he would have preferred literally anyone in his class over the Student Council President. Even Terasaka would’ve been better, if only because the boy knew how to take orders.

But if it had to be someone on the main campus, Karma knows he could’ve done a lot worse than Asano. At the very least, he’ll have fun riling Mr. Perfect up. 

Karma smiles. “Well hey there! Didn’t expect to see you here. Shouldn’t you be at home studying, or something like that? After all, E Class did beat yours in that bet you made. Puts a bit of a damper on the deal if you just go somewhere else.” 

Asano doesn’t react, not even a twitch to show he’s secretly pissed and trying not to show it, like the plentiful ones he gave once finals were over. Karma wonders if Asano has the same feeling he does, that they’re trapped somewhere dangerous. He can feel his expression softening. “You’re stuck here too, huh?”

“It’s really you.” Asano’s voice is so hoarse, so unlike how he sounded just a few days ago at the assembly before break. He sounds hopeful, and maybe a bit fearful? Karma has no idea what to make of it. “You’re really here! I-” His face falls. “I’m sorry you’re caught up in this mess too.”

“Is that so?” Something is _wrong_ with those words. They don’t sound like something Asano would say. Karma finds himself taking a closer look.

Asano’s wearing a simple shirt and vest, but they look like they’ve gone through a lot of wear and tear. He has a flower crown, an actual flower crown, on his head, some sort of spiked bat sticking out of his backpack, and what looks like a gold and bone walking cane. 

There are scars all over him, ones that weren’t there a few days ago. 

_Something is wrong here._

Yeah, no shit. 

There’s a barking sound, and an odd creature that looks a bit like a furry white pumpkin with stubby legs and tiny horns pads up to Asano, who pets it absentmindedly. 

Clearly Asano’s been here for a bit longer than Karma has. Not a super long time, because they did see each other a few days ago, but he did arrive beforehand, and he’s clearly adapted to whatever the hell this place is. 

“Do you know what this place is?” He asks, keeping his voice neutral. 

Asano nods. “It’s called the Constant. It’s an island that’s… disconnected from the rest of reality, as far as I can tell. Logic and regular sciences don’t work here, and there are things… you’re not going to find anywhere else.” The sun starts to lower in the sky, and Asano looks at him nervously. Funny, Karma could’ve sworn he was better at hiding his emotions than this. “We should get back to camp. Don’t want to be out when it’s dark.”

Karma seriously considers just going off on his own, as he doubts someone who’s been fighting for a long time and is well trained in assassination like him has to worry about whatever has Asano so spooked. Still Asano seems to know more about their situation, so he’ll get as much info out of him as possible before deciding if he wants to bounce or not. He sweeps his arm out dramatically. “Lead the way then.”

Asano smiles, actually _smiles_ , (and it looks genuine holy shit Karma didn’t know he could do that) and Karma follows him through the woods and along the coast, until they reach a point where the evergreens turn to birch trees, and a camp surrounded by stone walls comes into view. 

Asano seems right at home, taking out what looks to be some sort of weird sandwich out of a cooler, and offering it to him as he drops his bag. “Sorry there isn’t another tent. I can make one. I’ve already got an extra bedroll though, so don’t worry.” 

The tent has to be the least strange part of this whole setup. There’s a couple of strange machines in one corner, maybe eight or so drying racks, neat rows of berry bushes other crops, trees lining one side of the walls in rows, lightning rods scattered all over, a whole wall of different types of storage holders and cookers, and a massive fireplace in the center.

How the hell did Asano set this all up so fast? Sensei and Karasuma are the only ones Karma can think of where he wouldn’t be surprised at all this, and something is wrong when a teenager is being compared to a special forces agent and a creature that can move at mach twenty. 

Karma takes the sandwich with a somewhat sarcastic thanks, and Asano gets to lighting up his lanterns around his camp. “I’m surprised you didn’t know that this place is called the Constant,” he says casually. “Didn’t Maxwell mention it to you when you first got here?”

Karma blinks. “Who?” Asano frowns slightly and looks up at him.

“Maxwell. Dapper, slightly inhuman man, enjoys watching the suffering of mortals.” He says that last part with a little bit of the venom Karma usually expects from him. “He was there when I first woke up in the Constant. Wasn’t he there for you?”

“Nah.” Karma shakes his head. “ You were the first person I’ve met here.” He thinks back to that weird conversation. “You were apologizing weren’t you? What for?” He tries the sandwich, and it’s surprisingly good.

Asano gives him a helpless shrug. “You’re stuck here, like me. There’s no way out, no way home. I’m sorry about that. Sorry you have to deal with this as well. Sorry you’re going to die.” He frowns, then shakes his head. “Well, you have me, which means you’ll be dying less, because things will be much easier with another person around!” Confidence returns to his voice, as though he’s actually encouraged by the insane things he’s saying. “I’ll try and make it so you don’t die that often, I promise. Least I can do.”

“Right.” So forget teaming up, Karma is going to leave as soon as possible, because not only is Asano completely different than before, and has possibly lost the competence and edge that would’ve made Karma think about sticking around, he’s also just totally flown off the deep end altogether. Karma would much rather go it alone than stick around. “Well, if it helps, I don’t plan on dying.”

Asano gives a small laugh. “I didn’t either,” he says, and Karma’s blood runs cold. Asano seems to pause, then looks somewhat panicked. “Wait, you can’t leave, not now!” 

_At least he picked that much up_. Maybe not totally useless then, but it’s not worth it to stay and find out. “Aw, don’t look so sad. I appreciate the food and everything, but I think I’ll be in better company out there.” As in not around someone who would go crazy after only a few days.

“If you want to go, I - I get it, I understand, although we really should talk because you don’t know yet how it gets. But you have to wait until morning.” His voice is firm. “Or at least take one of my lanterns. If you don’t, you’ll die.”

So Karma could add paranoia onto Asano’s ever growing list of issues. “Funny enough,” he says, “I think I’ll be fine.” And then, “If you’ve given up going home after such a short time, then come find me when I find a way out of here. Maybe I’ll let you through.” He smirks. “Although I can think of a few people who won’t be too impressed by your attitude change.” 

He ignores Asano running forward with a pained cry and steps into the darkness outside the camp.

* * *

Asano helps him revive in the morning. He looks just as shaken as Karma feels, rubbing the places on his own body where Karma’s was mauled.

“I could feel it,” he says, as the little creature, who’s name appears to be Chester, rubs against him in a comforting manner. “When the monster got you, I could feel it as well. And I knew where you were as soon as you entered the Constant.” He seems contemplative. 

“Seriously?” Karma does all he can to keep his arms from shaking. He just died, he actually _died,_ and now he’s back to life like nothing ever happened, and it looks like Asano wasn’t crazy after all and he was just being an idiot. 

He’d promised himself he would get better at underestimating others and overestimating himself since the finals, and then he went and did it again. 

_So this is why Asano talked about trying to limit my deaths_. 

He also said that he hadn’t planned on dying either, which carries a lot more weight than it did last night. Was that where Asano had gotten all his scars from? No, Karma had been - had been ripped to shreds, and there wasn’t a scratch on him now. Which meant that Asano had survived the things that gave him those scars. 

“Right,” he finally says. “I think I’ll be sticking around for a while then.” Karma doesn’t miss the look of relief on Asano’s face, which still doesn’t make sense because Karma never took the guy for an extrovert who needed to be around others. “You seem to know a surprising amount about this place.”

It almost pains him to even hint that Asano is more knowledgeable at something than he is, but Asano doesn’t mock him for it, or even seem to acknowledge the hidden meanings in Karma’s words. “I should, considering how long I’ve been here.” He looks past Karma, out into the distance. “I would say that if there’s something dangerous out there, I’ve encountered it, but I doubt I’ve even scratched the surface of everything in the Constant.” 

….Karma’s definitely missing something. And as he puts all the pieces together, he has a sneaking suspicion of what that is. 

“Asano?” He says cautiously. “How long have you been here, exactly?” 

Asano barely even hesitates. “The last thing I remember from the real world was just after summer break of third year began, but it was autumn when I arrived here. So, either a year, or just over a year. Take your pick.” He croaks out a chuckle. “Sorry for my voice. Barely used it since getting here.”

“Over a year,” Karma repeats flatly. 

It makes sense, much more sense. The full camp, the collection of scars, Asano’s voice, they way he sounded as though he had given up trying to get home.

But he didn’t look like he had aged at all, and the very idea of time flying so differently here was enough to make Karma very uncomfortable. 

“You say that like it hasn’t been a year.” Asano sounds cautious. “How long has it been for you?”

Karma gives a helpless shrug. “A few days, at most. After all, it’s been less than a week since school got out for the summer.”

Asano stares at him blankly. Karma looks back. They don’t say anything for a while. Then Asano stands up abruptly and paces around the campsite. 

“Are you going to be okay?” Karma ventures. Asano lets out a defeated chuckle. Chester seems to look up at him worriedly.

“Am I going to be okay? No, I don’t think so. This is - fuck. Fuck.” He buries his head in his hands. “All this time, and I thought - I can’t believe-” He seems to go silent, and Karma can almost see the gears turning at rapid speeds in Asano’s brain. Then he lets out a long sigh. “Okay. I think I’m good. I can manage.”

Karma raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that? You don’t look so good.” He tries not to think about how of course Asano would be taking it hard, if Karma had died to that monster and Asano knew about it that meant that Asano had also probably died to that monster which meant-

_Not going there_. 

“While I’m not feeling so good, I’ve made it through so much, I can make it through this.” It doesn’t sound like a mantra, just like he’s stating a fact. “Fuck. No time has passed at all. That’s so - I can’t believe-” He runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “I don’t even remember what I was feeling back then, the specifics of what I was doing.” He glances over to Karma. “And I was angry at your class because of some stupid test, and it all seems so pointless but that just happened for you.”

“Maybe you should catch your breath,” Karma offers, trying not to let his surprise show on his face. Maybe he should’ve guessed Asano wasn’t bothered by their class rivalry anymore, considering how considerate he was being, but it still catches him off guard. “Maybe you don’t know everything, but since you’ve been here a while, you could tell me how this place works, what to look out for.” His grin is more forced than he would like. “I’d rather not die again.”

“I don’t want you to. No one should die as much as I have.” Asano finally sits down. “So just- take it to heart. Please,” he adds as an afterthought, because being alone for a year may have improved his attitude, but not his manners. 

Karma wants to get better after his failure at finals. Acknowledging Asano, however humiliating, is a good step on that path. 

So he stretches out comfortably. “I suppose I can listen. Just make it interesting, yeah?”

* * *

Karma winces as Asano applies healing salve on his arms. They’ve been aching nonstop since the hound encounter, and while he doesn’t think they’re bad enough to leave a scar, it was a bit of a wake up call into underestimating the creatures of the Constant.

Asano had warned him about the hounds, of course, and how some of them can freeze or burn just about anything. And Karma had taken that to heart, he had! But seeing Asano take down the hounds rather easily had made him overconfident.

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Asano says, as the salve starts working and Karma’s skin starts mending. “I’ve been fighting hounds for over a year, and they still get some pretty bad hits in sometimes. You did better than me when I first fought them.”

“Well, I’m not that surprised about that last part,” Karma says with somewhat forced cheer, and Asano rolls his eyes. “What, got any third degree burns to prove it? A whole degree higher than these? Or maybe you got iced?”

Asano shakes his head. “No, there wasn’t any blue or red hounds at the time. Just the regular kind.” And then he takes one of his arms out of his jacket sleeves to show Karma one of the nastiest scars he’s ever seen, from his elbow up towards his shoulder. “Almost ripped my arm off. Thought I saw bone.”

“Yikes,” is what comes out of Karma’s mouth, because what else can he say? And Asano is so weirdly casual about it! Still, looking at the scar, a selfish part of him does feel better, knowing he outdid Asano in his first match with the hounds. And judging by Asano’s smile, that weird thing where Asano always knows where he is and how his health is going is at play here.

“It is interesting though,” Asano muses. “You don’t seem to be nearly as immune to fire as you are to other physical attacks.”

That’s true. He’s not sure why, but since arriving in the Constant, Karma’s been able to tank hits that would have seriously injured him otherwise, and according to Asano, would’ve definitely injured the other boy. 

It’s been pretty awesome, feeling stronger like that, but it does make sense that he can’t just stay mostly unaffected for everything like that, even if it is a little disappointing.

It’s been a hell of a week since he arrived. According to Asano, having another person around as lightened the workload by a lot, but there’s still so much to do. There’s farming, even if it isn’t quite like farming back in the real world, and rabbit and bird traps to set, and trees to chop down, and foods to cook and store, clothing to be made and weapons to craft. 

When Asano said he was going to get silk for making Karma’s tent, Karma had insisted on coming with. He had figured out that day that 1) spiders were terrifying and giant spiders nearly up to his knees are even more so, and 2) being able to take more hits than most does not apply to internal poison. It was a learning experience, to say the least. 

And of course, the beefalo, whose fur was used for bedrolls, and whose manure was used for fertilizer. 

It had not been a good conversation between the two of them, when it came to who was to collect the latter. Karma had unfortunately lost. He doesn’t plan on losing again. 

“You won’t have the advantage of extra experience on you for long,” Karma says. “I’ll be figuring out how the Constant works pretty fast, so don’t worry about having to teach me everything.”

“It’ll be great when we can just work together, no teaching involved, but I’ll always have more experience, since I came here first,” Asano points out. “That’s not necessarily a problem, you know. Being here first means experiencing near crippling loneliness and wondering whether you were ever worth anything, but no one can answer your questions, because no one else is there.”

There’s a long pause, as they both look at each other.

“I said that out loud, didn’t I?” Asano sighs.

Karma forces a smile. “Yup. Let’s just put that away for now, shall we? I’d rather learn how to kill hounds better.”

* * *

A monster Asano calls “Bearger” arrives one afternoon, preceded by the earth shaking with the stomps of his feat. He’s massive, At least three times taller than Karma, with massive paws and claws, as well as glowing eyes. And he seems intent on using all of that to crush them.

Karma turns to Asano, tentacle spike in hand. “So, you’ve faced this before, right? How do we beat it?”

“Not sure.” Asano squints up at the monster. “He didn’t show up last autumn.”

“Helpful,” Karma snorts. “Guess we’ll need to figure this out as we go, then.” Bearger growls at them menacingly. 

“We need to figure out it’s attack patterns,” Asano says. “Pretend it’s some sort of boss. They almost always have a pattern that we can exploit. This one looks like it’s a sort of slash and stomp kind of boss, which means we’ll need to get in close if we want to figure out the specifics.”

Karma watches the Bearger warily. “That sounds fantastic, save for the part where we’re close enough to die to that thing.” Slashes and stomps don’t have nearly as much of an effect on him as they do Asano, but this thing is massive, and Karma would rather not take the chance.

“True.” Asano takes out his spike. “I’ll go in first then, and you watch. Figure out the pattern from safely away, then go in when you’re sure.” 

Karma stares at him like he’s grown a second head. “Did you not just hear what I said about possibly _dying?_ ”

“Don’t worry, I heard it,” Asano assures him. “It’s not that much of a problem though, I’ve already died more times than I ever cared to count. And having your skull bashed in is relatively quick and painless compared to some of the other deaths I’ve been through. It’s not as though I’m risking that much.”

There are so many things wrong with that, Karma doesn’t even know where to begin. But Asano is already starting for the Bearger, so he hangs back and watches. Asano’s good, dodging in and out around the monster’s feet, attacking whenever he can. The Bearger brings its fists up, and Asano leaps back just as it swings them down, cracking the ground around him, where Asano once stood. With a better understanding of how the Bearger works, Karma joins the fray. 

They do well, dodging in and around the monster’s attacks, deftly evading its claws and getting out of there before it shakes the ground around it. Almost too well, actually. Of course things go wrong.

Karma is jumping away before the Bearger’s claws can come down, when it decides to move just a bit faster, and Karma is almost within range of its claws. Before Karma has the chance to move out of the way, there’s a flash of blonde, and the Bearger is picking up Asano instead of him, then slamming the other boy on the ground so hard, Karma can hear the crack. Blood spills everywhere, and suddenly it’s all Karma can do not to throw up.

Asano’s ghost rises up immediately. “ _Get out of there_ ,” he hisses. “ _I’ll be back in a bit._ ” 

True to his word, Asano quickly rejoins the fray, and son enough, Karma deals the final blow that brings the monster down. Asano collects the meat and fur the Bearger dropped, as though he hasn’t just died in front of Karma’s eyes. 

The two of them seriously need to have a talk.

* * *

“You’ve been frustrated all afternoon,” Gakushuu says. It’s strange, how he can feel a muted sense of what Akabane is feeling, both physically and emotionally. Maybe it’s like Akabane’s ability to withstand so many physical attacks? They most likely would’ve been evenly matched in the real world, yet Akabane is so much stronger here. Perhaps they each simply got a different special ability upon entering the Constant, and Gakushuu hadn’t figured his out before since he was the only one here before Akabane.

“No kidding,” Akabane looks pissed. “We need to talk about what happened earlier today. About the fact that you just ran in there and ended your life like that.”

“I told you I would,” Gakushuu points out. “And I did promise that you wouldn’t have to face as many deaths as I did.” He doesn’t see what Akabane is so worried about. Sure, he was panicking over dying the first time, back when he first arrived, but he had gotten over it rather quickly, if only out of necessity. Maybe Akabane just isn’t used to it yet?

Bad answer, it seems. Akabane scowls. “That’s not the point! Well, it’s part of the point, but not entirely. You didn’t know that I was going to die. There was time for me to move out of the way. I could’ve done so. You didn’t trust that I would.”

That… would be frustrating, if it were Akabane dying instead of him, Gakushuu can see himself feeling the same way. It probably looks silly to the other anyways, him worrying so much. Akabane doesn’t understand what it’s like to finally have someone after a year of complete solitude. Maybe then he’d know why Gakushuu doesn’t want him dying. Maybe he’d get why Gakushuu felt so panicked and horrible when Akabane stepped into the dark that first night.

“You’re right,” he says. “I should’ve trusted you. Sorry Akabane.”

Akabane looks taken aback. The he laughs. “You sure you’re really Asano? You don’t act like the Asano I know.” A pause. “And I go by Karma, actually. Everyone calls me by my first name.”

“Right then, Karma.” Is he really that different from before he came to the Constant? Gakushuu knows he’s had to put his pride aside for a lot of things, and he hasn’t had to play his father’s games for so long that he’s no longer constantly thinking about how to move within them. But does that really mean he’s acting like a different person? According to Karma, yes, apparently. Maybe he needs to start paying more attention to what he says and does, so he can see for himself.

Karma grows serious again. “But like I said, the whole “dying” thing itself is a part of the problem. I can’t believe you’re so casual about risking your own life like that. It’s unnatural, goes against every human instinct.”

Gakushuu shrugs. “In the real world, maybe. I lost count of how many times I’ve died back in the winter. Death is constant in the Constant. It’s just something you get used to after a while.”

Karma looks disgusted. “That’s sick. I can’t believe-” he cuts himself off, although Gakushuu has a pretty good idea of what he was about to say. “You know what? Never mind. Let’s just pack it all up for tonight.”

“Sure.” Gakushuu puts some more fuel on the campfire as Karma turns to go back to his tent. A thought strikes him. “Karma.”

Karma turns around. “Yeah?”

He thinks about how to phrase his words. “If you’re going by your first name, I’ll go by mine. Just call me Gakushuu.” He takes in Karma’s stunned face. It makes sense in his head. Now that he finally has someone, and the loneliness that was eating him from the inside out has gone away, he realizes he doesn’t ever want to go back to that. Even if they didn’t like each other, Karma has helped him, and going by his first name only seems fitting.

It takes Karma a minute to respond. “If you say so, I guess. Gakushuu.”

* * *

The days get colder, and Gakushuu insists that the first thing they do is get extra spider silk, thermal stones, and make more drying racks. 

“Without as much protection and insulation as possible, I froze to death,” he tells Karma once, which, understandably, Karma thinks, may have freaked him out a little, if only because freezing to death is something he’d much rather avoid.

He understands much better why Gakushuu was so casual about dying now, having died a few more times himself. It’s still just as painful as it was when he first arrived, but it just doesn’t seem like nearly as big of a deal, now that he knows he can always come back. 

(That doesn’t make it any better when he sees Gakushuu die right in front of him. Something about watching someone else die just hits way harder than dying himself. Maybe because when it’s him, he doesn’t really get the chance to think about what dying means? At least now he understands Gakushuu’s insistence on being careful everywhere.)

They’ve harvested as much fruits, seeds, and berries as they can, storing them away. Lots of jerky has already been made, and Karma’s new coat and hat are surprisingly comfortable. He still keeps the flower crown when he can, considering Gakushuu’s tales of another monster that drains one’s sanity just by being around it.

One day he walks outside his tent to find snow falling gently from the sky, and dusted all over the ground. There’s not a lot of it, although it’s quickly increasing. Karma bends down and scoops some of it together. It turns out to be very good packing snow.

Gakushuu is stringing up more meat on the drying rack, and doesn’t really acknowledge Karma’s presence except for a distracted nod. Perfect.

Karma finally has enough snow, and he packs it in tightly, before hurling a perfectly aimed snowball as Gakushuu’s face. It hits him square in the back of the head. Gakushuu sputters and jumps, going for a weapon.

Karma quickly throws his hands up in the air. “Relax, it’s just me. Never been hit by a snowball before?”

“Not that I can remember.” Gakushuu calms down, although he still seems kind of jumpy. “Not in my house.” Which is really sad, honestly. Gakushuu turns back to the drying rack, and Karma wonders if he ticked the other boy off somehow.

Then he gets a facefull of snow, and Gakushuu is smirking with an outstretched arm.

Karma grins. “Oh, it’s on!” They hurl snowballs at each other, ducking behind chests and walls, amassing as many snowballs as they can and hurling them all at once. The snow gets thicker on the ground as they go, so they never run out of ammunition. Chester runs between the two of them, barking happily. 

They’re both wet, cold, and exhausted when the snowball fight is over, but for once, neither of them seem to mind. Karma starts their campfire, and Gakushuu cooks up some warm soup, and the two of them plus Chester huddle together near the blazing warmth, thermal stones in front of them. 

“You know,” Karma admits, “If anyone could’ve been in the Constant with me, I could’ve done a lot worse than you.” 

“Mmm. It could’ve been anyone really, and I would’ve just been happy that someone else was here. But I’m glad it’s you.” _At least he’s honest about it_. But Karma’s found that he enjoys someone actually saying what’s on their mind for once.

* * *

Karma quickly decides that he hates the Constant’s winter. It’s long, boring, and so could he feels frostbite coming on if he so much as steps away from a thermal stone, or takes his hat off slightly. And nothing grows, so they have to lug themselves out of their tents to go check their traps, which means even more time out in the freezing cold.

And of course daylight only seems to last for, like, a few hours. Fantastic. 

“This is as bad as it gets,” Gakushuu assures him, as they’re bringing in their catches of the day. Karma’s considering trying to make a face mask, because it feels like his cheeks are broken or missing. “Trust me, it’ll get more manageable soon.”

Karma looks at the sunset. It can’t be later than two or three in the afternoon. “Right.” He’s not sure who Gakushuu thinks he’s fooling. The other boy has been skittish all day, eyes darting around the fields and over their camp, like he’s expecting danger to come out from anywhere, at anytime. 

This continues throughout the afternoon and into dinner. Gakushuu keeps brushing him off whenever he mentions it, but Karma’s not an idiot, and he looks even more suspicious than he did before. 

Still, Gakushuu says nothing, and in frustration, Karma gives up asking for the night, going to his own tent and tucking in by his thermal stone, preparing to get the truth out tomorrow.

Sometime later in the night, Gakushuu ends up right outside his door, asking to come in, and Karma lets him.

“You finally decided to tell me what this is about?” He asks dryly. Gakushuu sits down, swathed in his coats and warm clothes. Chester follows, curling up between them. “Don’t try and deny anything, you were terrible at hiding it today.”

Gakushuu shifts awkwardly. “Really? Guess I’ve just gotten used to not having to hide my emotions around anyone. Don’t need to bother when Maxwell’s the only one around.” 

“He’s the Shadow King guy, right?”

“Yeah, that’s him.” He clears his throat and looks away. “It’s… as far as I can tell, it’s been a year.”

Karma lifts an eyebrow. “I thought you said you first came in autumn?”

“Not since I came here,” Gakushuu corrects. “Since my worst death. Only time I’ve spoken to Maxwell outside of when I first arrived here. I was already freezing to death, and I was angry, and he set a crawling terror straight out of a nightmare at me-” He breaks off, shuddering. “I thought there was no point in…”

Gakushuu trails off, but Karma’s already gotten a pretty good picture. It’s strange to hear that Gakushuu’s reached such dark places, and a part of him doesn’t even want to know what a “crawling terror” is. 

A surprisingly large part of him aches for Gakushuu. He supposes one can’t spend months alone with another person and not develop any sympathy for them. (Or maybe they’re friends now? He’s not sure.)

“Have you noticed? Sometimes when you spend too much time around a certain monster, or keep too close to the dark corners of things, shadows of monsters start to take shape.” Karma has noticed. In fact, there have been times where he’s seen the things and Gakushuu hasn’t. “Maxwell sent one of those after me that night. Survived the attack, bled and froze to death right after.” He shivers. “I don’t think I can see them right now, not the actual things. But I can’t sleep, I keep seeing it there.”

“...I’m sorry,” Karma offers. _Pathetic_. Gakushuu just shared a traumatic and terrifying experience with him, and that’s all he can offer? He tries for putting a hand on his shoulder. “If we see Maxwell again, we’ll kick his ass together. You’re not alone this time.”

“Thank you,” Gakushuu says. He doesn’t shrug off the hand. They sit there that way for a while, in comfortable silence. 

Eventually, Gakushuu moves away, hesitant. “I should go back to my tent.”

“Alright,” Karma agrees.

He doesn’t go back to his tent. The two of them stay there for a little while longer, talk a bit more, and eventually fall asleep, Chester curled up next to them. 

It’s nice.

* * *

“So, your teacher, who goes by Korosensei, is some sort of monster planning of destroying the earth in a year, and all of you are training to be assassins and kill him before then?” Gakushuu summarizes.

“That’s the gist of it, yeah,” Karma confirms, patting the soil down. They’re planting as many evergreen trees as they can, having apparently cut down too many, which seems to have invoked the wrath of a pretty angry tree guardian. “You’re taking this well.”

Gakushuu shrugs. “We just fought a giant with lasers coming out of his eyeball. I don’t think there’s much that can surprise me anymore.”

“Fair enough,” Karma laughs. “You know, if we ever find a way out of this place, you should stop by. All the know how you’ve got could be really useful in getting the job done.” It’s almost strange now, to think about what will happen to them when they get home. Karma can’t imagine things just going back to how they were, no changes at all. At the very least, he’d like to continue being friends with Gakushuu. 

“You think?” Gakushuu smiles, but there’s a hollowness in his eyes, and it hits Karma that his friend really doesn’t think they’ll ever get home. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Be sure that you do,” Karma says, more forceful than intended. If Gakushuu doesn’t believe they’ll make it home, then he’ll need to believe enough for both of them.

* * *

“What the hell just happened?” Karma says, looking and feeling stunned, while Gakushuu heals up his arm in the soft glow of their cave camp.

“You almost died to a bunch of giant bunnymen,” Gakushuu tells him dryly, more exasperated than annoyed. It wasn’t Karma’s fault, really. This was his first time running into the bunnymen as well. He had just been lucky enough not to have any meat on him when they ran into the odd village, which is what seemed to have set the things off. And the shear numbers those things came in just made everything worse.

Karma huffs. “That’s ridiculous. These caves are ridiculous. We should’ve just stayed on the surface and dealt with the rain. Why can’t we just go back up there?”

“It’s been raining frogs for days,” Gakushuu reminds him. “They’d be on us in seconds, and everywhere. I don’t know about you, but I’m not too interested in dying to a bunch of frogs.”

“Better than these bunny things,” Karma grumbles, but doesn’t disagree. Despite getting warmer, this spring is much wilder than the previous one, and the two of them had taken to the base camp for refuge from the lightning, frogs, and constant wetness. _Splashing in puddles is fun until you’re soaked to the bone, and can’t dry off because it won’t stop raining._ All their crops were going to drown at this rate. 

They didn’t have enough on hand to make an extra tent for Karma, but it didn’t prove to be much of a problem. After the initial night, the two had spent more than a few nights staying together to stave off the worst colds and nightmares, and eventually made a habit of it. Still, Gakushuu suspects Karma will want to make a tent for the oasis camp as soon as possible. 

“There was that odd formation back behind the bunnymen village,” Karma muses. “Not sure if it was stone or metal, but it was pretty interesting. You know what it’s called?”

Gakushuu thinks back on it, letting the name come to him. “Thulecite, I think. I’ve never seen it before. Must be exclusive to the caves, or even just that part of the cave.”

Karma stretches. “Well, if we’re down here for the season, I say we check it out. Who knows how many ways we can use that thing. Worth taking a closer look, don’t you think?”

Gakushuu looks at him skeptically. “You just want to fight the bunnymen again, don’t you?”

“I’m just saying we’re better off not having to deal with them all the time. We should just fight them now and be over with it!”

* * *

As it turns out, underneath the caves lies an even deeper part of the Constant, apparently called the ruins. And after a few minutes walking through it, Karma can understand the title. The place is littered with broken clockwork pieces, like on the chess patches near Maxwell statues above. Ancient statues litter the grounds, and broken Thulecite juts out from the ground. Everything here looks to be in shambles.

A shiver runs through him. “You know that feeling when you first got to the constant?” He says. “That feeling like something was very wrong, and you didn’t belong here? I’m getting that feeling again.”

“Me too.” Gakushuu tightens his hold on his pickax. “We should leave. Come back later, when we’re better equipped.”

Karma wants to argue the point - they’re already down here, they’ve faced tons of difficult challenges before - but Gakushuu looks dead set on his answer, and he’s always had a good sense for these things.

“Alright,” he concedes. “But we should come back before spring ends. If this is right under our noses, we should investigate more.”

* * *

This, as it turns out, is a wise decision. 

The next day, the two plus Chester stumble upon some creatures of massive stone with slightly disturbing faces, and as it turns out, giving these rock lobsters some rocks stored in their bags means that they’ve just gained some loyal followers to hunt bunnym- to explore the ruins with. They’re also great at doing all the heavy lifting, so finding them was the best thing to happen to Karma in these caves. 

They’ve also discovered that through the powers of tunnel moles, night vision is entirely possible, something Karma wishes he’d known _far_ earlier. Suddenly everything is visible at night, even down in the caves, which means not worrying about the night monster for a while.

After he’s worn the things all night long, and found that those awful shadow creatures kept popping up, Gakushuu snatches the goggles off his head and places a flower crown on him instead. 

“This thing drains your sanity after a while,” he reveals. “We can’t just go using it whenever.” Which is a shame, but hey, they’re still useful. 

The frog rain has stopped, but they’re too far into their preparations to even think about just letting it all go. Well before summer comes around, Karma and Gakushuu are more than ready. 

As Karma looks down into the entrance of the ruins, a chill runs through him again, one telling him to _go back now, before it’s too late_. He’s far too stubborn to listen, of course, but when all your instincts are telling you to run, you start to have second thoughts on things.

Before he can say anything else, Gakushuu grabs his hand. Startled, Karma looks up, sending a questioning gaze his friend’s way.

There’s determination in Gakushuu’s eyes. “We go in together,” he says, and Karma finds that it’s easier to push back the bad feelings.

* * *

The first parts of the ruins, the wilds, aren’t too bad to deal with all things considered. With fields filled with light flowers and new types of edibles Gakushuu can’t wait to try and cook up, things seem relatively calm. They do run into some depth worms, hairy prickly things with massive gaping mouths and rows filled with sharp teeth. If it weren’t for the rock lobsters, they most likely would’ve died then. At least they got some new berries out of the mess.

The village is a different matter. Filled with ruins of ancient beings Gakushuu doesn’t even want to guess at, far more clockwork pieces, slurpers that attach themselves to one’s head, and thieving monkeys with unnaturally wide toothy mouths that at one point were covered in shadows and rushed them all at once. A small mistake, and suddenly a monkey was biting onto his artery, and he goes ghostly again.

When he reincarnates, he finds Karma leaning over him, covered in blood and awful gashes. Gakushuu can feel Karma’s panic, and tries for a smile. “That’s going on my list of really bad deaths,” he says lightly.

Karma scowls. “That’s not funny. That was horrible. I hate watching you die like that.”

“...Yeah. Sorry.” He reaches out his hand, and Karma helps him up. “Guess I just don’t have the durability to handle those things.” He’s not too ashamed. They both know Karma is much more durable when it comes to physical attacks, and even he looks like a mess.

“I found where they live.” Karma jerks his head towards strange structures that look like screaming monkey heads. “We should destroy them before any come back.” He scowls again. “And get our stuff back. Damn grubby bastards stole almost everything.” 

They wander a bit more, both of them dying quite a few times, but also making good headway, before the floor turns red, shadow creatures start attacking, and they’re forced into a corner. 

Something seems to catch Karma’s eye, and he nudges Gakushuu pointing behind them. Gakushuu turns to look, and finds an odd stone device made of stone, thulecite, and gems. _Ancient Pseudoscience Machine_ , his mind supplies. 

“Let’s check it out.” He makes his way towards the machine, where it appears that a number of recipes can be crafted.

“You think we should try and make anything?” Karma wonders. Gakushuu deliberates, then shakes his head. 

“We’re low on supplies. We should head back.”

“Enough dying in ancient ruins for now,” Karma agrees. “Let’s get out of here.”

* * *

They move up to the oasis camp in summer, having explored quite a bit of the ruins below, even making a couple of new items at the pseudoscience machine. Gakushuu leads Karma through the sandstorm to the oasis. It’s a nice camp, even if smaller than the other two, and Karma thinks that maybe he can enjoy summer here. 

They need to pacify the Antlion, which is somewhat annoying, but at the very least they won’t need to fight another giant monster. Karma had been curious and so they had adventured into the other desert, and had come face to face with a giant fire spitting dragonfly. Karma isn’t eager to repeat the experience. 

The two of them rest by the lake as fireflies dance overhead, resting against each other, Chester sleeping in Gakushuu’s lap. 

“It’s been a hell of a year, hasn’t it?” Karma muses aloud. He can feel Gakushuu shifting next to him.

“Yeah,” his friend says. Then: “I’m glad it was you who came.” Something warm blossoms in Karma’s chest. They sit that way for a while, just enjoying each other’s company.

* * *

Autumn's starting up again, and they finally move back to their original camp. There’s a sense of cheer that comes with autumn, the calm before the storm that is winter. 

The second day, Gakushuu stills, then turns to Karma. “Someone else is in the Constant. I can tell.”

“Is this going to be a yearly thing?” But Karma smiles. It’ll be nice to have someone else around. He hopes it’s one of his classmates, because he misses them more than he ever thought he would. “Let’s go check it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akabane Karma  
> Nickname: The Combatant  
>  _A natural fighter, he takes to the constants challenges with gusto. However, he has a nasty habit of getting in over his head._  
>  Health: 300  
> Hunger: 150  
> Sanity: 150  
> Perk: Endurance Master, can take many more hits, and each hit does less damage to him  
> Disadvantage: Less Sanity, and more susceptible to other kinds of damage, like poison.
> 
> I case you were wondering, the reason Gakushuu knows all the different names in the Constant is sort of a first survivor's perk, which would've gone to anyone who had arrived first (and an easy way for me to give everything their proper names).
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed, and please don't forget to leave a review!


	3. Light and Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kayano enters the Constant. Things get a little more complicated. (It's not because of her. She's just along for the ride.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally done, and chapter 3 is up! Our heroes reach the end of the ruins, fight some massive bosses, get some more tools and exposition, and even get to try their hand at the forge! What a jam-packed year. Hope you enjoy!

One minute Kayano Kaede is at home, watching TV. The next moment, everything is blurry. When she comes to, she has a splitting headache, and when that fades, she realizes she has no idea where she is. She’s on some rocky terrain, surrounded by boulders and strange silk. 

_Something doesn’t feel right_. 

It’s been bothering her since she woke up, but - _oh. My neck-?_ The constant pain that came with the tentacles is gone. Kayano reaches for her neck, feeling nothing. Not that the surface isn’t usually smooth, but she can always tell that they’re right under the surface. Now, there’s nothing. 

How did this happen? How did those tentacles come out? She needed those to kill Korosensei! To avenge her sister! But - the pain is gone, and she can think clearly again - those things had _hurt_. They hurt her, and without them she feels free for the first time in a long time, like it isn’t just her body that’s free from them, but her mind as well. 

She’ll figure it all out later. For now, Kayano needs to know where she is, how she got here, and how she can get home. There’s nothing but rocks and boulders in most directions, leading into a stormy ocean, save for south, where a forest stretches out. She’ll head there. 

She doesn’t reach it. 

As she steps over the silk, spiders nearly up to her waist come crawling out of some sort of giant nest, heading straight towards her. When facing numerous massive spiders like these, and without her tentacles, or any other weapon, Kayano decides the best course of action is to run. 

As it turns out, some of the spiders are faster.

* * *

Gakushuu nearly drops to his knees, feeling the agony of poison rushing through his veins. He knows he hasn’t been poisoned, so his reflex is to look towards Karma, but Karma is equally fine, if concerned. 

Which means their new companion is dying at the moment. Gakushuu can tell they’re in one of the boulder areas, the one with the spider nests. 

“Everything alright?” Karma asks.

“They’re dying,” Gakushuu manages to get out. “We need to hurry.” They break out into a run as the feeling of venom courses through Gakushuu’s veins, and they reach the edge of the rocks to see Kayano succumbing to it a group of regular and warrior spiders over her. Something drops in his gut, and it isn’t feelings from the others (although he can feel Karma’s anger strongly). She had been unfortunate in where she landed, but they should’ve gotten there sooner. She hadn’t lasted a day. 

Karma charges in with his spike, and Gakushuu is right behind him. After months of dealing with sandstorms and ruins, the spiders are considerably easier (although they’ll never not be a threat.) Gakushuu can feel Kayano’s ghost popping up behind him, watching the proceedings with wide eyes. 

When all the spiders are gone, Gakushuu turns his attention to her. “You see your skeleton?” He points towards her left behind bones. “I know it sounds strange, but try and go back to them. Back into them, I mean.”

“Don’t worry, he’s telling you this for a reason,” Karma adds. Kayano hesitates, but floats over to her skeleton, and quickly resurrects herself. 

She dusts herself off, looking stunned. “What - what the hell was that?” “How-” Karma rushes forward, giving her a tight hug. Gakushuu aches to join in, because more company is always welcome, but he’s not sure if he should. They don’t know each other quite yet. 

Karma lets go quickly. “Sorry, it’s just been a while.” He doesn’t sound sorry at all. “I can’t believe you’re here.” 

“I guessed by the hug. Not something we usually get from you.” Kayano laughs nervously. “Do you two know what’s going on here? I was watching TV, and then everything is blurry, and now I’m in this weird place, getting attacked by giant spiders, and-” She breaks off. Understandable, none of them were experts at dealing with their own demises in the beginning. 

“We’ll tell you back at our camp,” Gakushuu offers. “And get you some defenses.” 

“Sounds good to me!” Gakushuu knows she’s forcing her cheer. But there’s more than that. Kayano has a deep anger in her, threatening to burst. He’s pretty sure that didn’t come from the Constant. “Have you guys been here for a few days or something?”

Karma winces. “About that…”

* * *

Kayano watches as Asano - _Gakushuu, he asked to be called Gakushuu, wasn’t that weird?_ \- and Karma talk about making her a tent, as she sits in the rather large and advanced camp, and takes everything in. 

Years, they had been here. Karma for one year, Gakushuu for two. Would she be stuck here for years as well? Would she never be able to go home? Get revenge for her sister? She’s suddenly struck by how big the woods are, how small the three of them are.

And Chester. The little white dog thing rubs against her leg, as if asking if she’s okay. Karma and Gakushuu asked her if she was okay, multiple times. Should Kayano be feeling worse about it? She was ready to die to avenge her sister - but now she might not be able to, so what’s the point to anything? And clearly she can just come back. It seems like they’re making a bigger deal out of things than is necessary. 

Or maybe she’s just in shock. That might be the case. 

“Kayano?” Gakushuu asks. She looks up at them, her fingers combing through Chester’s fur. “Do you want to help with your tent? There’s a couple more camps we’ve got, so you’ll need to set them up there as well.” He turns to Karma. “You still need to set up your tent in the caves. You never did so when we were down there?”

They have a camp in the caves? And why would Karma not set up a tent? Maybe they weren’t staying long?

Karma shrugs. “I was fine sleeping with you. Maybe we just need to set up one extra.”

 _Sleeping with-_?

Kayano coughs. “I’m sorry, Karma, did you say the two of you were sleeping together?”

“Yeah,” Karma shrugs. “We didn’t have enough of the materials on us to build a second tent when we went down to the caves, and we were already staying together sometimes anyways. Not that big of a deal.” 

“Then when we got the materials you refused to move out,” Gakushuu reminds him lightly. There’s a genuine smile on his face, as if this day wasn’t weird enough. “Only built your own tent once we got to the oasis.”

“It was cold down there! And too hot in the oasis!”

“Wait, hang on, back up a second.” Even with her shock, Kayano can feel an incredulous grin spreading across her face. “Are you two together now? As in dating?” Of all the people to start dating, she had never expected Karma to go for the student council president. He seems very different now, sure, but her point still stands. 

She thinks back throughout the day, how close they had been, their lighthearted jokes, how totally in sync they were, casual hand grabs and close contact. She can’t believe she didn’t see it before! 

The look they give her is one of genuine confusion. “We’re just friends? Why do you think we’re dating?” Gakushuu says, as though he has no idea how Kayano has drawn her conclusions. 

“Do you want to learn how to make your tent or not?” Karma adds.

Kayano looks at both of them, realizes that they’re both _genuinely oblivious_ , and decides then and there that the two will be getting together before they find a way out of the Constant. Which hopefully won’t take a whole ‘nother year. She has a teacher to kill, after all.

“Sure!” She puts extra cheer into her voice, as much as she can. “Thanks you guys!” 

They show her what to do, and it’s surprisingly easy, considering how Gakushuu mentioned everything they have they made from scratch. He also said that they think the “world’s mechanics” or whatever work differently here, which Kayano can clearly see. 

When everything is done, she steps back to admire her work. Nothing fancy by any means, but the tent will do the job well.

“Just remember not to go into the darkness at night,” Gakushuu says. “You’ll literally die doing that.”

“Trust me.” Karma smiles, but his eyes hold a lot of pain. “I know.”

“Thanks for the heads up.” She gives both of them a cheerful grin. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” 

It’s not that she actively wants to die or anything. But she didn’t die permanently before, and now Kayano can’t help but feel curious. Karma had looked almost scared, when he talked about dying in the dark. What had made someone like Karma scared? He obviously came back from it, but it still seems to haunt him. Kayano wants to know what happened.

So she waits until both boys are asleep, then steps out of her new tent, looks at the low fire, and walks into the dark.

* * *

Gakushuu offers her a blanket in the morning. Kayano takes it with a small thanks. 

That… was horrible. She thought dying to spiders was the worst thing that could happen to her, but clearly she was wrong. She’s not sure it can get any worse than what just happened. Why did she think trying that was a good thing?

At least now she knows what she’s up against in the Constant.

“Why the hell did you do that!?” Karma yells. She’s never seen him this angry. “We told you, you’d already died once, what were you thinking?” 

“Please don’t lie,” Gakushuu says softly. Kayano blinks at him in surprise. “I can feel yours and Karma’s emotions, at least in a muted sense. I know you were really angry all day yesterday, and I don’t know why. You don’t have to tell us your life story or anything, just explain to us what happened last night.”

“You know my feelings?” Kayano stares at him. _This is new. Not sure I like it_.

“And he feels it when you die,” Karma adds on. “And I’m a lot stronger than I was before I came here. You probably have some odd perk too. None of that’s the point though!” 

“I…” Kayano looks at them both, Karma’s angry, Gakushuu’s sad, and they both look at her like they just want to help. A part of Kayano burns at this. She doesn’t need their help! She’s just fine how she is, on her own, thank you very much.

But without the tentacles, it’s a far smaller part of her. And a stronger part is crying out for help and company.

She doesn’t need to tell them everything. Maybe just a little bit?

“I’m sorry,” Kayano says. “I was angry because I’m away from all my friends, and - everything sort of feels meaningless. Without death, I mean. What’s the point, if we can just come back later?”

They look at her in silence for a moment. Then: “You just need to find meaning in other things.” Gakushuu has a sincerity in his eyes she’d never thought she’d see. “Like in friendships, and pets, and exploration.”

“The thrill of the fight!” Karma laughs. “Beating up those asshole Krampus’ that try and steal my stuff!” 

“Something like that.” Gakushuu smiles. “Whatever it is, you can decide. You don’t need to do so right now, but you should think about it. And we’re here to help you if you need anything.”

“So try not to die on purpose again.” Karma wags his finger at her. “At least not if you don’t need to.”

There must be a lump in Kayano’s throat. She’s usually so much better at speaking than this. Maybe her deaths have affected her after all.

“Thank you,” she says. “I’ll try and think of something.”

Gakushuu reaches out and squeezes her hand. Karma puts his arm on her shoulders. It’s weird, but it’s also nice. “Good. I hope you find it soon.”

So does she. And she does like what Karma said about the thrill of the fight.

* * *

The other two are itching to go back to what they call the ruins, but they agree to leave it until after autumn, so Kayano can adjust and brush up on her different skills. Which is good, because a few days later, some massive monster called a Bearger attacks them. Apparently Karma and Gakushuu had fought it before, so they manage to get away without casualties.

Still, even before with Korosensei, Kayano had enjoyed all the different and unique assassination attempts they pulled off. Now, without the tentacles feeding her desire for revenge, she realizes just how _exciting_ fights like these are. 

“You wouldn’t have said that last year, when Gakushuu had his head split open,” Karma grumbles.

“I apologized,” Gakushuu points out nonchalantly. “It’s not that big of a deal.” It looks as though they’ve had this argument before, but neither of them are really angry with each other. 

It’s actually sort of fun, if tedious, learning to work on the camp, to farm and hunt. Kayano takes to it with surprising ease. It’s peaceful in a way, and the repetition is soothing. 

Kayano soon figures out what her own perk is, and quickly decides she got the best out of the three of them. Besides those weird giant-eyed tallbirds leaving her alone, plenty of neutral mobs seems almost friendly to her, and the beefalo _love_ her. It’s sad when she has to go hunting, and the little guys seem to just trust her so much before she betrays them, but it also means she can focus on fighting the bigger problems, and not things like killer bees.

The real bonus comes one day as she’s going to dispose of some monster lasagna, and happens by a small cave in the ground. She hears a small sniff and something clawing its way out of the ground, and stiffens, readying her spear. But what shows itself is a baby hound, looking not much different from a fuzzy dog, which looks at her curiously. Then it wags its tail.

“Oh, you’re a good boy, aren’t you?” Kayano reaches down to scratch behind the hound’s ears, and it wags its tail harder. “Yes you are! Do you wanna come with me, you good boy?” The little hound heartily agrees.

They reach the camp after Kayano throws out the lasagna, and she decides to head off questions before the surprised looks on the boy’s faces can turn to action. “I found him, and he’s sweet! Don’t worry, he’s not like the other hounds.” 

“He’s called a Vargling,” Gakushuu says absently. Chester hovers behind him. The vargling trots over to the chest, sniffing him, and then licking his fur. “Just be careful, okay?”

“Of course!” Kayano beams. “What do you take me for? Wait, never mind, don’t answer that.”

“Smart move,” Karma hisses under his breath. Kayano decides to ignore him.

“I dub thee Nagisa Number Two!” She pats the Vargling, smiling at the boys laughter. “We can just call you Two for short.”

* * *

“Are you sure about this?” Gakushuu asks for what feels like the millionth time, as they brush down a couple beefalo. “If this goes wrong-”

Kayano rolls her eyes. “It won’t I promise! Come on, don’t tell be your not excited!” Gakushuu decides not to respond. While Kayano can charm beefalo pretty easily, they’ve discovered that feeding and brushing the big animals will keep them loyal to anyone for a longer period of time. Who knew? And now they were going to test out just what kind of benefits they can get from this arrangement.

Two ducks in and around the herd, yipping playfully at stragglers. They’ve discovered that he makes an excellent herding dog, which means Karma doesn’t get to point out that Chester is more useful anymore. _And it’s not about how useful he is, he’s a puppy!_ Clearly the two boys needed to sort out their priorities, bad hound experience or not.

“I got them!” Karma runs over, makeshift saddles in hand. “Lets test these suckers out, shall we? Should be fun.” He passes one each to Kayano and Gakushuu. Gakushuu still looks a little hesitant, looking between the saddle and the beefalo, but eventually shrugs. 

“You know what? Fuck it, let’s do this.” Kayano and Karma both cheer.

Getting the saddles on is surprisingly easy, and so is mounting. The beefalo seem a little miffed to have people on their back, but decide to go along with it anyways. Kayano strokes her beefalo’s fur, just a soft as ever. 

“This is pretty cool,” Gakushuu admits, trotting along like he’s guiding a horse. “Not something I ever really expected to do.” 

“That’s why things are better with us here,” Kayano says. Gakushuu offers her a smile. “Together, we can do all sorts of things!” A scream makes them both turn to see Karma and his beefalo charging forward at top speed. The noise Karma is making sounds happy, but it’s hard to be sure.”

Kayano glances at Gakushuu. “Think we should stop him?”

Gakushuu deliberates. “You know what? If he dies from this, that’s on him. Let him go for it.” Kayano can’t help but snicker. 

A hissing sound reveals the approach of spiders. Kayano looks at her companions, and they all seem to agree as one. When the spiders are near enough, the three charge in on their steeds, the rest of Kayano’s tamed herd and Two right behind them.

* * *

Kayano’s first full moon is amazing. It feels so good to be able to walk around at night again without needing to worry about dying when she runs out of light. The three of them decided to pay a visit to the pig king and get more gold for their alchemy machine, and with the wires Gakushuu found, they ended up getting even more than they came for.

“Seriously when we get back, we’re going to be loaded forever with this. Forget killing Korosensei, we’re already going to be set,” Karma jokes, as they enjoy their stroll through the birch trees.

“Haha, yeah.” Kayano doesn’t feel like mentioning that money isn’t her reason for wanting to kill Korosensei, and searches about for a new subject, eyes landing on an odd looking statue with a strange blossoming flower. “Hey, what’s that?”

“Hmm?” Gakushuu looks up. “Glommer’s statue, it seems. I’ve never seen it before. Must be new. We should check it out.” They make their way over to the statue. 

A buzzing sound fills her ears, and Kayano spins behind her to see some sort of odd flying creature making its way towards them, some sort of fluffy flying critter, it hovers around looking genuinely innocent. Kayano suspects she knows its name.

“Think if we pick the flower it’ll follow us? Like Chester’s eyebone?” Karma muses.

“Only one way to find out.” Kayano picks the flower, and the critter comes to her happily. “Awesome! Let’s keep him.”

“You’ve already got Two,” Karma points out. “And we’ve needed to section an entire part of the grassland off for our beefalo field. What do we even do with so many?”

Gakushuu shrugs. “I dunno. The more company the better, I think. Why not?” Kayano beams at him.

“Exactly!”

* * *

When winter rolls around, they finally head down to the caves, where Kayano gets to see the group’s second camp. It’s not as advanced as the first one, and it does only have one tent, but it’s still well made, and clearly lived in. Kayano sets up her tent right next to the boys. _I could get used to this._

“You sure you don’t want to share?” Karma offers. No funny business, I promise. And it’s big enough for way more than three anyways.”

Kayano rolls her eyes. “No thanks. No offense, but I’m not really interested in joining whatever it is that you two are doing. And don’t tell me it’s nothing, I saw you sharing a tent sometimes in the base camp as well.”

“It still isn’t what you’re thinking,” Gakushuu protests. 

“And the offer’s open whenever,” Karma adds. “You’ll be wanting to take it, I promise.”

“Right. Sure.” Kayano highly doubts that.

That night, she tosses and turns in her tent. Even with her fluffy bed roll and thermal stone, the bone chilling cold of the caves is still entering her tent, sending constant shivers down her spine and making it hard for her to fall asleep. _Damn it._

She gets up, bed roll and thermal stone in hand, and makes her way over to the boy’s rather large tent. It seemed Karma was telling the truth, because while they are huddled together for warmth, it’s obvious that nothing else has been going on. 

Gakushuu cracks an eye open. “Coming in?”

“Do you mind? It’s _really_ cold down here.” Karma is awake now too, and his knowing smile almost makes Kayano want to turn around and go back to her own tent.

“We don’t mind.” Gakushuu mentions to the padded floor. “Come on in.” Kayano sets her bad down just a little ways away from the boys, and on Gakushuu’s side. Nothing against Karma, but she trusts him less when it comes to pranking people in their sleep. 

With the three thermal stones, the fire in the fire pit crackling right outside the tent, and the body warmth of three people, Kayano finds sleep coming much quicker than before.

* * *

“I can’t believe you did that.” Karma glares at Kayano, thoroughly pissed off. “What the hell were you thinking?” And Karma thought he was bad at listening to people who wanted to help him stay safe!

“You knew about the bunnymen, from what we told you,” Gakushuu points out.

“Yeah,” Kayano agrees.

“You knew they wouldn’t harm you if you didn’t have meat on you. And that you could’ve befriended them with your ability.”

“I knew all of that.”

Karma can’t help himself. “So why did you go and bring meat with you anyways!? You died from that! You died from a bunch of bunnymen!”

“I hadn’t died from them yet, and I was curious what gave a tank like Karma such a hard time,” Kayano says cheerfully. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

Karma does himself a favor and slams his head against the nearest wall.

* * *

Soon enough, the boys seem to deem her ready for the much discussed ruins, and Kayano finds herself venturing down there, headlamp, moggles, flower crowns, spikes, and various healing items at the ready. Some of the ruins are surprisingly beautiful, fields of light flowers and strange foods. But the further they go along, the more off the ruins get. 

Karma and Gakushuu point out various locations to her, like the former location of weird monkeys that tried to kill them and steal their stuff, how to avoid certain damaged chess enemies, and the nightmare lights that would give Kayano her first taste of the real darkness in the Constant.

They come a couple hours later, as the red nightmare light floods the ruins. Kayano has occasionally seen the outlines of these strange shadow things, but now they are very real, and very ready to kill them all. Kayano ends up dying twice before the lights finally shut off.

“Are you sure you’re alright to keep going?” Gakushuu asks. 

“I’m fine! I’ve died lots of times before, and this is no different,” Kayano assures him. “Besides, we’re almost to that science thing you wanted to look at.”

Sure enough, they arrive at the weird stone and thulecite device shortly after. Kayano and Karma stand back as Gakushuu looks it over. 

“It’s like the science and alchemy machines we have back at the camps, except unmovable. It seems like this thing will let us make all sorts of artifacts pertaining to the ruins.” He seems to find a blueprint behind the machine, and dusts it off. “And this has instructions on making something called a “shadow manipulator”. Everyone brought their gems, nightmare fuel, and thulecite? I’d like to test this out.”

They hand him the materials, and he works on some sort of craft while they keep guard. Eventually he turns around, holding up three necklaces. 

“Here. These should help us keep track of the nightmare cycle, so we’re not caught off guard again.” Kayano takes one of the medallions. It’s tan at the moment, but she suspects it’ll turn red when the nightmare lights come on again.

“Should we camp out here?” Karma suggests. “I’d rather have some new supplies from this thing before we go any further in. If it’s all as useful as this,” he holds up the medallion, “I think it’ll pay off.”

“I’ll set up a campfire,” Kayano agrees. As fun as traveling further in sounds, they don’t know what they’re dealing with. And as fun as charging head first into the darker ruins sounds, there’s no point in just dying over and over again with no other results. 

Kayano sets up the fire, and Karma roasts some rabbits, while Gakushuu keeps at work on the science station, occasionally passing out different items to them. A glowing necklace that will keep their sanity up and the night monster away, crowns that can generate force fields and absorb damage, some extra clubs and armor, and, the most amazing out of all of them, a staff that can actually _teleport_ it’s user to any place within sight.

“I think this might drain sanity, so use it sparingly, like with the moggles,” Gakushuu warns them.

Kayano and Karma seem to share similar contradicting opinions. “Listen Shuu, this is the most magical thing I think we’ve ever made for ourselves,” Karma points out. “We can’t just let it sit in our backpacks, we gotta use it!” 

“What’s a little sanity anyways, compared to the wonders of teleportation?” Kayano adds. Gakushuu just sighs and shakes his head. 

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” He mutters, putting away his own staff. _Lazy Explorer_ , he called it. Chester curls up in his lap. “We can take shifts staying awake and fueling the fire.”

* * *

Gakushuu manages to snap the last piece of the Shadow Manipulator into place, and watches with satisfaction as the purple gem in the middle lights up, dark light swirling around it. There are quite a few new crafts to make from it, and Gakushuu wastes no time getting to work.

He’s made amulets that can drain someone’s sanity down to zero (which oddly enough, he feels will come in handy), as well as belts that will reduce their hunger, when he feels a pair of elbows resting on each shoulder.

“Gakushuu, you’ve been at this for a while. It’s your turn to sleep,” Karma informs him lightly. “I can take it from here.” He looks down. “What’cha got?”

“Belts of Hunger.” Gakushuu holds one up. “It’ll keep us from starving, just in case we run out of things. We came prepared, but you never know if we’ll run into more of those monkey’s or otherwise lose our stuff.”

“Smart,” Karma agrees. He sits down next to Gakushuu, one of his arms still wrapped around Gakushuu’s shoulders. “It’s strange, that we’ve been here together for almost a year and a half. And now we have Kayano with us too, which is awesome.” He pauses. “Was I ever that reckless?”

“Yes,” Gakushuu informs him honestly. “Yes you were.” Karma laughs, and they sit together, enjoying each other’s company. Kayano wakes from her sleep, and rubbing her eyes, joins them, for once not saying anything. The three of them look out into the ruins in silence.

* * *

“Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!” 

The three of them and Chester have entered the labyrinth part of the ruins, and have come face to face with drop spiders, some of Kayano’s least favorites creatures in the entire Constant. She switches out her usual spike for a thulecite club, hits a few, and watches with immense satisfaction as shadow tentacles emerge from out of nowhere and beat up the little bastards for her. 

“You really hate those things, don’t you?” Karma says lightly, as a friendly knight smacks another spider away. They had discovered that they could repair broken chess machines, and although Gakushuu and Karma were hesitant, Kayano’s ability seemed to make it so that the repaired knights, rooks, and bishops fought for them, instead of against them. 

“What gave that away?” Kayano snarks back. 

Gakushuu has managed to get ahead of them, by doing the frustratingly smart thing of sticking to the sides of the different passageways and therefore not getting tangled up in them. “When you’re done, you should come check this out,” he calls to them. 

“You could help you know!”

“I hate drop spiders as much as the next person,” he comments idly. Which is extra strange, because just hours ago Gakushuu took a fatal hit from a Rook meant for Kayano, and had died of internal bleeding. Then again, drop spiders. She can understand. 

They catch up to him to find another ornate chest, one that Gakushuu has already opened. He pulls out an odd and pretty big bat wing, shaped like a club. 

“Batbat,” he announces solemnly. Karma snickers, and Kayano can’t help but laugh.

They continue to loot the chests of the ruins, finding all sorts of goodies, from nightmare fuel, to thulecite, to every sort of gem they know. Kayano spots a patch of grass up ahead. “Hey you guys, look-” She cuts herself off.

Because besides the gravestones littering the plot of land, there’s a massive beast with a giant horn pacing around the land.

Karma readies his spike. “Everyone here ready to die a lot?”

“I’m always ready to die a lot!” Kayano gives him a thumbs up. Gakushuu sighs.

“Yeah, looks like it. But it’s called the ancient guardian, and that might be for a reason. Everyone put on your thulecite crowns and armor. We’ll light up the edges of the land as we run, so we won’t need the moggles. Chester’s got dragonfruit pies, pierogis, jelly beans, and mandrake soups for health, so if you need it, duck out of the fight for a minute. No point in dying when unnecessary.” He strokes Chester’s fur. “You stay here, alright?” Chester barks in affirmative. 

Kayano steps out to get the guardian’s attention, then leaps out of the way at the thing charges at her. Karma and Gakushuu jump in and attack, before jumping away as it charges at Karma, and Kayano and Gakushuu go in for some hits. Rinse and repeat, over and over.

“There has to be a better way,” Kayano pants. They’ve been at this for a while, and the guardian shows no sign of stopping. It charges her again and she dashes behind a pillar on the edge of the plot of land. The guardian keeps going, and drives its horn right into the pillar, then grunts in pain, unable to pull it out. Sensing their chance, the three go in as fast as they can, and chip away at it, until the monster finally dissolves, leaving a massive horn, some meat, and a giant version of the chests in the labyrinth in its place. 

“Well that was exhausting.” Karma wipes the sweat off his brow. “And kind of boring. We died more to the Moosegoose than this thing!” Kayano wonders what the Moosegoose is, but decides it’s better, in this case, not to ask. 

“At least it dropped a lot.” Gakushuu pries open the chest. “Let’s see what we’ve got. Some purple gems, some nightmare fuel, some green gems, some thulecite, a - Star Caller’s Staff?” He holds up a staff with a yellow gem in it, then puts it aside. “And something called an Ancient Key.”

“Sounds ominous,” Karma adds helpfully. “Let’s go find out where it leads.”

* * *

There’s one ruin they have yet to explore, but food is running low, and so the group ventures back towards their cave camp. Kayano gets the brilliant idea of stringing the flower light bulbs together and putting them on a tree, and so they have their own little christmas light. With the Ancient Guardian’s horn, an eye from one of the deerclops Gakushuu and Karma have fought, and some thulecite, they craft a magical cannon of sorts, which Karma plants right next to the bunnymen village. 

Nights are bone chilling, and Kayano quickly gets over her pride and huddles with the boys for warmth. As the days go on, it gets less and less awkward, and she finds herself gleefully using her privileges as the newcomer to claim middle in the cuddle pile. It’s fun, talking into the night with friends, before drifting off to sleep together, Chester and Two cuddled up next to them, Glommer sleeping peacefully outside. 

It’s not something she’s done since Aguri died. It feels, awful as it may sound, like maybe she’s starting to move on. 

During the autumn, they had used their new beefalo herd to fix some of the broken marble statues lying around. They decide to head to the surface, to both check on their beefalo herd, and to see if the statues have changed somehow. 

By the time they reach the statues, it’s almost nighttime, and Gakushuu shows just what that Star staff can do, creating what he names a dwarf star in the middle of the chess pieces, a far reaching light that radiates enough heat that Kayano almost wants to take her winter things off. 

The marble statues are moving, and when they break them open, they release creepy shadow versions of the different clockwork pieces. When Karm defeats the knight, the rook and bishop get even larger and more ominous, and when Kayano lands the finishing blow on the bishop, the rook grows to a massive, terrible size, with gaping teeth, and teleports to wherever they are. It takes a couple deaths, but Gakushuu destroys the thing for good. 

The rook drops some nightmare fuel, as well as an odd dark cloak that gives them all the shivers, but also a pulsing black heart with white veins. 

“What is that thing?” Kayano eyes it warily. “Something tells me that’s not a good drop.”

“Was it the fact that it’s black, or the fact that it’s a pulsing disembodied heart that gives it away?” Karma wonders aloud, voice filled with false innocence. Kayano smacks him lightly on the head.

Gakushuu leans down to examine it. “Actually, it might be useful. The place in the ruins we still have left to go is called the Atrium, right? Well, this thing is called the Shadow Atrium. Pretty sure they’re connected. 

“Like the instinct you had about that odd skeleton I made?” Karma asks. Kayano’s seen the skeleton Karma’s talking about in the caves. When asked, he told her he made it for fun, but Gakushuu had insisted that he keep it, just in case.

“Yeah. I think they all connect to the same thing.” He stands up, placing the heart in his backpack. Looks like we’re going to give the skeleton a heart.”

“Yikes,” Karma says. Kayano has to agree.

* * *

The Atrium is the worst part of the ruins so far. 

Besides the fact that they need to get to the ruin by beating down a tentapiller and hopping down the hole it left behind, the atrium itself is beyond creepy, all jugged stone, decaying statues, and all the other little things from the darker ruins, just made far creepier. 

They stick to the walls again, on the lookout for drop spiders, and find a few more chests. They cut through more damaged clockworks and examine strange murals on the wall the send warning signals flaring throughout Karma’s entire body. They take turns carrying Chester, because while he can walk on his own, all of them need the comfort. 

Eventually, they reach a path blocked by strange black obelisks. Gakushuu passes out nightmare amulets, and everything becomes even more strange and horrifying, and Karma can’t take it anymore, he covers his ears but they’re still coming but the obelisks are gone and someone is pulling him along and they take the amulet off-

And he can think straight again. Karma gasps for air for a moment digging his fingernails tight into his palms. His friends look similarly pale and horrified. 

“Let’s use the lazy explorers next time, yeah?” Kayano suggests. They both agree immediately.

They finally reach the end of the atrium, where a bunch of pillars surround an odd stone structure, a half circle on top of a pole, one that was probably a full circle a long time ago. 

Karma gets to work taking the skeleton pieces out of his backpack and setting them up correctly. Gakushuu places the shadow atrium down on the ground, and Kayano, who’s seemed somewhat reluctant this whole trip, for some reason, slides the odd key they got from the ancient guardian into a matching hole in the pillar of the structure. The room lights up, as it does when the nightmare cycle is beginning. 

“Do you think we’re ready for this?” Kayano wonders. Her eyes seem to dart around the room. “I feel a bit under equipped.”

 _That’s odd_. Kayano would usually be the first one to jump into a fight. Gakushuu seems to have the same idea.

“Kayano, if there’s something you want to tell us-” He starts. She shakes her head, then pauses to think.”

“You know what? There is. But I think I’ll wait until we beat this thing.” She grins. “Let’s do this!”

With that, Gakushuu places the heart inside the skeleton. Darkness surrounds it, creating a horrifying body as the creature rises to a massive height, glowing horns pointing up towards the sky as it shakes the room with its screeches.

Karma raises his weapons. It’s go time.

* * *

They duck and dodge, weaving around the ancient fuelweaver as it swipes at them with its elongated arms, sends flames bursting across the room, and traps them inside bony cages. Their lazy explorers come in more handy than Gakushuu thought, getting them out of those cages with relative ease. 

It’s the only easy part of the fight. During the course of it, Gakushuu discovers what being impaled, burned alive, and getting blasted by pure darkness is like. The three of them die over and over again, the other two distracting the beast while the third recovers. 

It’s almost debilitating. He can handle his own deaths, sure. But feeling every single time Karma and Kayano die? _Fighting_ even when he feels like he’s burning, or he’s been stabbed, or mauled? A part of Gakushuu just wants to back out of the fight, to throw up and run away back to their base camp. To never think about the ruins again. 

Instead he lifts up his spike, ignoring the feeling of a gaping hole in his chest coming from Karma, and gets a few more hits in on the thing. 

The fuelweaver roars, and the room seems to pale, and more of the twisting crawling shadow creatures seem to surround them. Little black bugs seem to crawl towards the fuelweaver. The monster eats one, and is suddenly looking better than he did before.

“Keep those things away from him!” Gakushuu calls to Kayano, as Karma rejoins the fight. “We’ll keep getting hits in!” 

“You sure?” She looks conflicted, and he can’t blame her. They were having enough trouble fighting the fuelweaver with three of them, after all.

“Positive!” He swipes forward once again, then teleports out of another bony cage. 

“Something’s wrong, we’re not hitting him!” Karma yells. “There’s some sort of shield he’s got now!” Gakushuu looks around the room for whatever could be used to negate that, and finds nothing. Then again, with the obelisks…

He slips on the nightmare amulet, and sees shadowy hands supporting whatever barrier the fuelweaver as put up. Taking his spike and fighting away the darkness that is starting to cloud his mind, he slices the hands off, and Karma makes contact once again. Gakushuu takes the amulet off as quickly as possible and leaps back into the fray. 

They keep this going, trading off the jobs of taking care of the small bugs, taking care of the reconstructed shield, and just getting as many hits in as they can. Little by little, they start to wear the fuelweaver down. 

Eventually, it seems the creature can fight no more. Dark tendrils stretch up from the floor, latching onto the fuelweaver and dragging it to the ground. Then they tighten their grip, condensiding the fuelweaver into a shadowy ball before disappearing entirely, leaving only bones and a few other items behind.

The ancient gateway, still holding the key seems to almost burst to life, dark energy swirling inside it. 

Gakushuu all but collapses on the ground, his friends right beside them. He can feel their relief, their satisfaction. On top of his own, it’s an almost overwhelmingly good feeling.

“We did it!” Karma hugs him from behind, and Kayano quickly joins in. Chester, coming out from his hiding place where they had scampered to for healing items during the fight, trots over to sit in his lap. “We finally beat that thing! God, that had to be the toughest monster we’ve found here.”

“And we beat it!” Kayano cheers. 

“We did.” Gakushuu can’t help the smile that spreads across his face. “Don’t know why we even felt the need to come here and fight it in the first place-”

“Because how could we not? That was like a final boss!”

“But we won the fight. We did it.” They stay like that for another moment, before Gakushuu stands up. “Come on. Let’s take this stuff and get home.” He walks over who where all the different items are laying. 

Behind most of them is a black sword, dark magic swirling around it, not exactly the same kind as in the fuel weaver, but the kind that reminds him of Maxwell. There’s an odd pull to it, almost like it’s drawing him towards it... 

“Gakushuu?” Kayano calls out. Gakushuu shakes his head and helps grab the rest of the loot, leaving the sword behind.

* * *

“Remember how there was something I wanted to tell you guys?” Kayano says. They’re all cuddled together again in their tent, pets by their side. “This - this might not be as big of a deal to Gakushuu, but Karma, you probably won’t like it.”

“I’ll be fine,” Karma refutes easily. Unless you burned down our crops or something.”

“N-No, it’s nothing like that.” Kayano shifts awkwardly. “It’s about something that happened before I came here.”

Gakushuu gives her an encouraging smile. “Whatever it is, we’ll understand. I promise.”

“If you say so.” Kayano takes a deep breath. “Well, for starters, my real name isn’t Kayano Kaede. It’s Akari Yukimura.”

And so she tells her story. Of how she used to be an actress, of how she saw her sister dead in the lab she worked in, a tentacled being standing over her. How she had sworn vengeance, injecting herself with the painful tentacles and creating a new identity to get closer to the thing she believed to have killed her sister.

“But when I came here, the tentacles were gone. And I’ve been thinking - not only did the being not look like Korosensei at all - but it’s hard to imagine Korosensei doing something like that. I’m not sure what’s real anymore.” She sounds more vulnerable than she ever wanted to be, and she can’t look them in the eyes.

Someone grabs her hand. “It’s okay,” Gakushuu says softly, and she spins around to look at him. “I can’t say either of us understand fully what you’re going through, but we don’t blame you. And we’re here for you.”

“When we get home, we’ll help you find out what really happened to your sister,” Karma promises. “Don’t worry Kayano, we’ve got your back. Or do you want us to call you Akari?”

“Kayano’s fine, I’ve gotten used to it by now.” She can feel tears welling up in her eyes, and for once, she’s not ashamed to let them fall. “Thank you guys so much.” She’s wrapped in two pairs of arms, and things feel a little bit better.

It almost feels like maybe Aguri would be proud of her.

* * *

They decide to spend spring on the surface. It’s apparently a lot milder than it was the previous year, and the falling frogs don’t affect Kayano due to her ability. So it’s nice to bring all their things back up to the surface, let Two play around in the grass and with the beefalo again, and just breathe in the fresh and constantly warming air. 

They encounter what Karma had called a “Moosegoose”, and it is exactly what the name implies. Kayano leads her beefalo army into battle alongside her boys, and the fight is over with fairly quickly. 

Itching for more action, they storm the queen bee’s nest, and even though they die a few times, it’s surprisingly fun. One of the items they managed to get from the boss monster was bone armor, which took away almost all of the damage they received. They manage to get tons of honey, some funny new helmets that prevent sanity loss, and more of the materials needed to make jelly beans. In all, it’s a refreshing change of pace from most of the other boss battles, and they all return to camp happy.

* * *

It’s as summertime is nearing that something seems to start bothering Gakushuu. He keeps staring off into the distance, jumping whenever Kayano or Karma calls his name. Whatever’s bugging him, he keeps to himself despite their questions.

Eventually he opens up. “I feel like we need to go back down to the atrium, to the ancient gateway,” he admits. “I’m not sure why, but I feel like something is happening there that we need to see.” 

“Okay,” Karma agrees. But we’ve gotta prepare first. Let’s get everything ready.”

Gakushuu blinks. “Just like that?”

“You’re instincts are always spot on,” Kayano points out. “We trust you! If you say something’s going on down there, we’ll check it out.” 

They manage to reach the atrium far faster than they did the first time, to find the gateway in the final room is glowing with white and black and white light in the shape of a portal.

“Looks like you were right about something going on,” Karma says. Gakushuu looks at the portal curiously. 

“Guess so. Maybe we could do some tests-”

“Let’s check it out!” Kayano jumps forward, into the portal. 

“Kayano, wait!” But the portal expands, almost going haywire, and they are sucked in as well.

* * *

They find themselves somewhere Gakushuu has never been before, surrounded by chanting pigs in stands. Some kind of gladiatorial arena? Gakushuu drags himself to his feet, Kayano and Karma right behind him. 

His clothes seem to have changed to red and gold armor, his spike to a jagged sword. Looking at his friends, he can see that their outfits and weapons have changed as well.

“Were are we?” Karma wonders aloud. He looks to Gakushuu for answers, but Gakushuu can only shrug. 

Bellowing laughter comes from in front of them. There, sitting on a throne, is a massive red pigman, unlike any they've seen before. He has a goatee and mustache, as well as a gold belt with a massive red gem in the center. 

“Oh, what is this?” He booms. “What have we here? Gatekeepers? You dare return to the forge? Have you come to reunite us with the throne?” 

Kayano nudges Gakushuu. “Hey., this one’s actually literate! How did that happen?” 

The pigman snarls. “You dare-? Ha! How laughable! I am battlemaster Pugna, and I will protect what is rightfully mine!”

“Right,” Karma drawls. “Listen Pugna, we’d actually rather be on our way, this clearly isn’t anywhere we would want to end up.” This seems to make matters even worse, and Pugna puffs out his chest.

“And now they disrespect our arena.” Pugna scowls. “You shall learn your lesson! Warriors, prepare for battle! To arms!” 

“Probably shouldn’t have provoked them,” Gakushuu says dryly. Karma gives him an almost apologetic shrug. Strange armored creatures come at them from all sides. Karma pulls out his dart gun, Gakushuu his sword, and Kayano her mace. They back up against each other, slicing and ducking and dodging until all the creatures are defeated. Still, more keep coming.

“Yes, overwhelm them!” Pugna commands. “It’s good to have a challenge once again!”

“Says the guy who’s not fighting,” Karma quips. Kayano laughs as he bludgeons a creature to death with her mace. 

“It seems you can handle foot soldiers,” Pugna muses, when the creatures have stopped coming. But our forces have trained to work together! Can you say the same? Crocomanders, to the ring!” 

Pugna’s forces keep coming, and the three steadily beat them back each time. Sometimes the enemies drop different items, which makes each battle even more interesting. Funnily enough, Gakushuu’s having actual fun with this. The fights are nothing compared to some of the monsters they’ve defeated, and it seems they’re more than equipped to deal with each wave as they come. 

“You know,” Karma comments dryly, “I think that finals were more of an arena battle than this.” He picks a fallen explosive off the ground and chucks it at the nearest enemy. 

“Well now that you mention it…” Gakushuu can almost imagine them defeating math problems with guns in some arena, as strange as the thought is. He grabs up a fallen staff and points it at a group of turtanks. Meteors seem to come out of the sky and blast them all. 

“I dunno, I think this is way more fun!” Kayano adds in, as another enemy drops at her feet.

Pugna is glaring at them now, looking less than pleased. “Do you understand the forces you serve?” He demands. “We were severed from the throne! Trapped in a realm of stone and fire, with no scepter to provide. Why serve a power that abandoned my people? They destroy all they touch… this is why we cannot let you win.”

“Listen big fellow,” Karma shoots back. “We don’t serve anyone. If you’ve got a problem with someone, take it up with them.” Pugna simply roars, and more of his minions enter the ring, even bigger and badder than before. Still, they continue to beat them down.

“Know this, Gatekeepers. My warriors are proud and strong. Once you are dead, we will activate the Gateway. We’ll return to the hub and destroy the throne. We will end this, once and for all.”

“Does he ever stop talking?” Kayano mutters.

“I dunno, I think he’s saying some pretty interesting things.” Gakushuu wonders what Pugna means by the “throne”. Perhaps he wants to kill Maxwell? But the way he said “They”... Gakushuu shivers. _There’s more to this than meets the eye_. 

They fight on, horde after horde, until the final of Pugna’s forces is defeated. Pugna looks displeased, but concedes defeat. “You have won the battle. Victory is yours, as is the gateway. But know this, we will return!” 

Behind them, the black and white portal opens up once again, sucking them back in and spitting them out at the atrium.

Gakushuu rubs his head. His new sword, staff, and armor are all still with him, even if that means his club is gone. Other than that, no sign that anything else has changed. 

“Well. That was weird,” Karma comments.

“If by weird you mean super fun!” Kayano dusts herself off and stands up. Gakushuu follows her lead. “And we get to keep the sweet new outfits and weapons! I wonder what all that stuff Pugna mentioned really was though. And how did that place get there anyways?”

Gakushuu shrugs. “Who knows. It’s given us a lot to think about, that’s for sure.” 

As they walk out of the gateway room, Gakushuu almost feels as though he’s being watched. He turns around, and for a moment, thinks he spots Maxwell. But there’s nothing there, save for the odd dark sword.

* * *

“You know,” Kayano begins one day, as they’re relaxing in the oasis camp, “have either of you tried to build a boat and sail out of here?” 

She watches with amusement as her boys give exchange awkward looks. “We sort of assumed it wouldn’t work,” Karma admits. “I guess it couldn’t hurt to try?” 

“We’ve got enough wood to make the boat,” Gakushuu muses. “And it shouldn’t be too hard to make a sail. I guess we can try it out, though I doubt it’ll work.” 

“Aww, don’t be such a downer!” Kayano punches him lightly. “You never know until you try!” 

They spend the next few weeks crafting their boat, deciding to try and set sail right before autumn would start, so in case it didn’t work, they could be back in time for the hypothetical next person to arrive. It’s not bad work, even if Gakushuu does have to remind them to stay on track occasionally, and a bit of time is taken up fighting a giant dragonfly in the other desert, but the boat does end up completed on time. 

“Sorry we have to leave you here, buddy.” Kayano pats Two on the head, and he licks her face. “I wish we could take you, but I don’t know if that will work. I’m sorry. Look after our herd for me, okay? And you’ll have Chester and Glommer to keep you company!” Her only consultation is that Gakushuu and Karma had to leave Chester behind as well. 

Gakushuu calls her name, and she jumps off the small cliffside, and into the boat, where the other two were already waiting. “Ready to go!” She says.

From the moment they start sailing out, the waves are massive, trying to push them back towards the Constant. Still, the three of them stay strong, putting all they have into moving forward. Inch by inch, they crawl across the ocean, until the land of the Constant is a speck in the distance.

“The water has changed,” Gakushuu points out. Kayano looks, and he’s right. The water is a deeper blue, and while the waves are still massive, they’re not as bad as before.

Hope shines in Karma’s eyes. “Do you think we made it?”

Just then a clap of thunder rolls across the sky, and rain comes pouring down. The waves grow larger and rougher, and all three of them are hanging on for dear life. “You jinxed it!” Kayano yells.

Tentacles emerge from the water all around them, and through the low fog that has filled her line of sight, the glowing eyes blink into existence.

Then something hits their boat, and everything goes dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kayano Kaede  
> Nickname: The Performer  
>  _A former actress, Kayano has found a place to put her thoughts of revenge behind her and move on, whether she wants to or not._  
>  Health: 150  
> Hunger: 175  
> Sanity: 150  
> Perk: Natural Charm, neutral mobs are friendly, some hostile mobs are neutral, and there is a chance of mobs leaving her alone. Does not extend to bosses  
> Disadvantages: Does not get as many drops from monsters she’s slain, more vulnerable to Krampus attacks.
> 
> In canon gameplay, the darksword is simply a heavy hitting weapon that drains sanity. But what fun would that be?
> 
> Happy Holidays! Hope you enjoyed, and please don't forget to review!


	4. Lure and Sail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new area to explore, and a new person to explore with. Unfortunately for Nagisa, who finds himself strung along for the ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's back! Whoo! This chapter isn't perfect, but it's finished, and I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to review, and tell me what you liked!

Nagisa wakes to the sound of the ocean, fingers digging into the sand. His head pounds for a bit, but that quickly fades as he sits up and takes in everything around him. 

He’s on a beach, for some odd reason, with seashells and small mounds of sand and the like. Behind him is a strange forest, with trees that look somewhat familiar, but aren’t like any trees he’s seen before, and _bamboo stalks_ of all things.

How did he get here? Where is here anyways? Is anyone else here? The questions fly through Nagisa’s mind as he stumbles to his feet. 

If he woke up on the beach, would anyone else who ended up here be on the beach too? He decides to stroll down it. The sun is high in the sky, but for some reason he doesn’t feel as though it’s overbearing, like he’d think it might be at the ocean. 

This isn’t Okinawa, is it? Did Korosensei fly them there early and he can’t remember it? But Okinawa doesn’t have bamboo. And those strange trees….

Nagisa spots someone else kneeling in the sand, and runs towards them, hope filling his chest. “Hey! Over here!” The person turns, and it’s the _student council president_ of all people? But Nagisa’s glad someone is there, at the very least.

Asano stands up, face brightening. “Someone new! Hello! Shiota Nagisa, right? They haven’t woken up yet,” he gestures to two people on the ground, who Nagisa immediately realizes are Karma and Kayano, “but at least you’re safe so far.”

Nagisa sits down to check on Kayano, who seems to be breathing easily, if unconscious. “You think this place is dangerous? I mean, it looks sort of unusual, but dangerous might be pushing it.”

“Do you know how you got here?” Asano asks. “Or were you at home, then everything went blurry, and you woke up here?” Nagisa winces, because _yeah_ , that is pretty unsettling. “We’re in a place called the Constant,” Asano explains. He gestures to Karma and Kayano. “The three of us have been here for a long time, or at least what constitutes as long in the Constant, but we’ve yet to find a way out. We tried to sail off the main island, and ended up here.”

Nagisa tries to take all that information in. It’s a lot to process. “I mean, that’s a little hard to believe. Sorry, it’s just-”

“No, I understand,” Asano assures him. “All of us found it hard to believe at first.” Karma groans, and they turn their attention towards him. Asano nudges him. “Karma,”

“Five more minutes,” Karma groans, and Nagisa can’t help but chuckle.

“Nagisa’s here.” 

“No he’s not, we left him on the Constant.” Nagisa blinks, and Asano gives him an apologetic smile.

“Not Nagisa Two, the original Nagisa. And we’re still in the Constant, unfortunately. Just a different part, from the looks up it.” Karma finally opens his eyes, and he stares at Nagisa with an almost blank expression. Then, as quickly as he can, he pulls himself to his knees and Nagisa finds himself wrapped in a tight hug. 

“You’re here with us,” he says. “Dammit, I missed you.” Which is pretty open and vulnerable, especially for Karma, but Asano says that they’ve been here for a long time? He returns the hug. He’ll figure out what that means later.

“It’s good to see you too, Karma.”

“Nagisa!” Someone jumps on them, and Nagisa can’t help but laugh as he feels Kayano’s arms wrap around him. “Oh, it’s good to see you. I know it’s probably only been a few days or something for you, but it’s been a year for me, so-”

“Wait, hang on.” Nagisa pulls back. “A whole year?”

Karma shrugs. “Two years for me, and three for Shuu.” He nods towards Asano, who’s smile has turned somewhat somber. “Not that we’ve given up looking for a way out and all but…” He seems to scan the area around them. “And now we’re somewhere totally new, with almost none of our equipment. Fantastic.”

“It’s not so bad,” Asano reasons. “I had to start from scratch when I was here alone, remember? We’ll just have to explore and rebuild for now. There may be some new rules about this place we need to learn about. But we can do it. There are four of us now!”

He’s so different, Nagisa thinks, as he looks at Asano. The arrogance is missing from his expression, replaced by something far more genuine. His words actually encourage Karma and Kayano, who would’ve otherwise scoffed at him. Since they’re all wearing t-shirts, Nagisa can see thick scars running down his arms, just as he can see them on Karma and Kayano.

Clearly these three have been through a lot together. He almost feels like he’s the odd one out, which is strange because Karma and Kayano are his classmates and friends and they hated Asano, and yet the student council president has claimed his place as one of them. 

Asano starts off by telling everyone what to do and what to gather, and Karma and Kayano actually get up to go and do it, and Nagisa feels dizzyingly like he’s in some sort of other reality.

Still, Asano does know the most about this world, and apparently he’s done this before. So maybe Nagisa should trust him? 

“Um, Asano?” He says, carefully. “Is there anything I should be doing?”

“Sure thing. We’ll need lots of grass to start setting traps and for building other materials.” He answers. “Oh, and call me Gakushuu, by the way.”

“Right.” _What the hell is going on_? “You can call me Nagisa.”

“Got it.” He pauses. “Oh, and don’t forget, don’t step out of a light source at night. You’ll literally die.”

That… sounds more than a little crazy. Nagisa’s not sure if he’s ready to believe something like that quite yet.

* * *

After a day of breaking down rocks and cutting trees (neither of which functioned like they did in reality), not to mention fighting off actual snakes that came out of those trees, which thankfully left Nagisa alone, they start a campfire and settle around in. 

“At least it’s warm here!” Kayano says. “It would suck if we were stuck outside in, like, winter, or something. Do these islands even have winter?”

“I don’t think so.” Karma adds more fuel to the fire. “It looks pretty tropical here. Then again, this is the Constant, so who knows?”

“Do the laws of nature not apply here or something?” Nagisa wonders, half joking.

The response is unanimous. “Not in the slightest.” _Wow_. And he thought Korosensei was weird. This place just might have him beat. 

Still, as the others decide to take turns sleeping and keeping up the fire, Nagisa wonders just what is so bad about going into the darkness. He probably won’t actually die, or the other three wouldn’t be here right now. Maybe he’d get lost or hurt? Nagisa had to admit, he was kind of morbidly curious.

So as Kayano took watch and was looking the other way, Nagisa slips out into the darkness.

* * *

Karma is _furious_. Nagisa sits on a log and watches him rant, Kayano’s arm wrapped around his shaking shoulders. 

“He told you! I told Kayano when she first came here! Is anyone ever going to listen? Don’t fucking _go into the dark a night, goddamnit_! I swear to fucking god, or whatever the hell constitutes as such in this mess of a place-” 

Gakushuu is trying to calm him down, although he looks pretty annoyed as well. Which wasn’t fair, because Nagisa had just _died_ and _resurrected_ , and how was he supposed to know Gakushuu was serious? That he would be - would be ripped to shreds if he went into the darkness?

“Don’t worry,” Kayano says to him. “He’ll get over it. Just let him get it out of his system.” 

Nagisa winces. “So, we really can’t die permanently?”

“No one’s to a way to so far, at least.” Kayano lets out a small laugh. "You kinda get used to it after a while. Although we’ll probably be dying a lot more now that we’re in new territory.” 

Which kinda sucks. Why couldn’t Nagisa have found himself where they were all staying for the last few years? (Which was still weird to think about.)

What would his mom think, with him being gone and all. Maybe it would only be a few days in normal time, but she might get pretty upset, which wasn’t good. Why did they end up here in the first place? And why _Gakushuu_ , of all people? He wasn’t even in the same class as the rest of them. 

He guessed he’d just have to go along with what the others did to find out. Hopefully he wouldn’t die as much in the future.

“You won’t.” Nagisa looks up to see that Karma has stopped yelling, and Gakushuu is looking at him intently. “You won’t die as much as the rest of us have. We’ll do everything we can to make sure of it.”

“Just don’t go running into death like an idiot,” Karma adds.

“Leave the running to death thing to me,” Kayano adds. 

Nagisa winces feeling a wave of guilt as he imagines what that must’ve looked like to his friends. Nagisa may have died, but they had to watch their friend die, and that was still pretty traumatizing. “I’ll try not to, I promise.”

* * *

They don’t find any spider dens on the small island on which they’re stranded, which might be a disappointment to the others, but Nagisa would honestly rather hold off on meeting poisonous spiders that reach up to their knees. Still, this means they can’t yet build tents. To Briefly rectify the problem, Karma and Gakushuu set up a small palm leaf hut, which they all gather under until they can find somewhere else to get their silk.

“You know,” Kayano suggests the next day. “Maybe we should build a boat? I mean, this island has a lot of good trees and all, and we have more snakeskins than we know what to do with, but we’ve kind of exhausted it for now? And it doesn’t have nearly enough of the things we need.”

“That’s smart,” Gakushuu agrees. “There’s no way this is it for this section of the constant. There’s got to be more.”

They start off simple, tying lots of bamboo branches together with vines. Gakushuu volunteers to test it out first, and Nagisa watches from the beach with his friends as Gakushuu uses a makeshift paddle to row about.

“Do you really trust him now?” Nagisa asks Karma, who’s right next to him. “I mean, after everything that happened with finals and all-”

“Course I do,” Karma says immediately. “Who gives a shit about finals? That was two years ago for me. And in the past two years Gakushuu saved my life and sanity more times than I can remember. Why wouldn’t I trust him?”

Kayano laughs a little. “I mean, when you think about it, the only “bad” thing Gakushuu did was, what, study really hard? Get good grades? The other virtuosos were the ones who made that bet, which worked out in our favor. I can’t get mad at him for studying really hard.”

That’s fair. Maybe they were blowing the whole A Class rivalry thing out of proportion. And maybe Gakushuu is better than he used to be. Nagisa hopes so.

* * *

The next island they come across is much better, containing lots of trees, beaches, a small mangrove area, a meadow, and some land that’s covered in magma. On the downside (or upside, according to everyone else), there are also spiders, and Nagisa learns what it’s like to die to spider venom. The answer? Absolutely terrible.

“It’s a rite of passage,” Kayano assures him cheerfully. “We all die to spiders early on. Don’t worry, you’ll die to better things later.”

“That’s not very reassuring,” Nagisa mutters, looking down. It’s kind of upsetting, how casual everyone is about all this. Sure, after it happened they were all there to comfort him, but now it feels like everything is carrying on like nothing happened. Is this place so horrible that death is nothing to them anymore? Nagisa _really_ wants to find a way out of here before he loses any care for death as well.

On the plus side, they do manage to set up some tents, one for each of them. There’s definitely some satisfaction in seeing his own work completed, and Nagisa steps back to admire his tent.

“Do you think when the seasons change, we’ll all be sleeping together again?” Kayano wonders aloud. “Or are you two just going to do that anyways.”

“Oh, don’t pretend you weren’t claiming the middle spot at every opportunity,” Karma fires back with a smirk. 

“Yeah, but not as often as the two of you.” Kayano grins. “I still think you should make it official already.”

Nagisa leans over to her. “Make what official?”

Kayano snickers. “Karma and Gakushuu totally like each other, but they have no idea. Also when it gets cold we all slept in the same tent to stay warm. Trust me, you’ll probably end up doing it too.” Nagisa’s not sure if that’s supposed to be reassuring or a threat.

Also, Karma with Gakushuu? He would never have thought of them being together, but considering how they act here… maybe? Huh.

“We should cover the ground,” Gakushuu suggests. “In case we get a really rainy season. This area is a bunch of islands, after all. We might get some tropical storms.”

“Guess we know what to do with all this snakeskin then.” Karma holds up some of the aforementioned skin. “Mind helping me sew this all together?”

* * *

It takes some time, but eventually they have their camp set up, based right on top of that snakeskin they put together. Gakushuu gets right to work building some strange machines, and insists on building walls around their base before anything else.

“Not that walls aren’t important, but why so soon?” Karma wonders.

“I saw some monkeys around the jungle area,” Gakushuu explains. Karma’s face darkens with what has to be rage.

“Not a problem. Give me a day and I’ll have those fuckers cleared out.”

Nagisa stares at him. “You’re serious? You’re going to go around slaughtering monkeys?” That just seems so unnecessary, and pretty cruel.

“We’ve had bad experiences with them, in the past,” Gakushuu explains. “Murderous thieving buggers. We’re better off getting them away from our camp.”

“They might not be as bad as the ones in the ruins,” Kayano suggests. They’ve told Nagisa about the ruins, and they sound absolutely horrible. On the other hand, the experience seemed to bring the three of them closer together, and Nagisa wonders if he’s ever going to catch up. 

They all seem to have their niches when it comes to helping the group. Maybe he just needs to find his, and he won’t feel this way anymore?

“Let’s not take the chance.” So they spend the next two days gathering coral from the nearby reef and building limestone walls around their bases. 

After that, everything is about farming and improvements. Moving berry bushes into their rapidly expanding camp, surrounding it with trees. Storing up on chests, then filling those chests with all sorts of tools they might need for later. They capture a few different birds and keep them in cages to have a constant supply of eggs. Traps are set and reset just about everywhere. Gakushuu sets up some cooking pots and drying racks, and Karma figures out how to make something called a Chimenea, which will keep their needed fire dry no matter what. Kayano’s out hunting and fishing, and sometimes she takes Nagisa along with her, and the two of them just talk about whatever. 

It’s hard work, but it’s kind of fun. He can see how the others are getting so into it.

* * *

Nagisa sort of hates to admit it, but it’s nice to see Karma getting upset at Gakushuu for once. Even if he totally understands why.

“I can’t believe you thought it was a good idea to take on those crocodog things by yourself!”

Gakushuu looks away. “I know.”

“You were out alone and you died!”

“I know.” 

“We’re just worried,” Kayano reasons. “That’s not like you. You’re usually the one telling us not to go and get ourselves killed. What’s with the sudden change?”

Gakushuu takes a moment to answer. “It’s just - it sort of feels like we’re back to how I started? And I died a lot then figuring everything out, more than any of you did. I guess I was just slipping back into old habits.”

“Well, you don’t have to do that.” Gakushuu looks at him, and Nagisa shrugs, Sure, with all this talk about them naming a dog-thing after him, and feeling like someone else took his spot between two of his friends, he hasn’t really been Gakushuu’s biggest friend. But hearing that someone’s habits include dying over and over tugs at his heart. “We’re all here together, aren’t we? You don’t need to start off alone this time.”

When the surprise fades, Gakushuu gives him a small smile. “Thanks. I’ll try to remember that.” Still, there’s something in his eyes that makes Nagisa uneasy.

* * *

With their island set up and working in what Gakushuu claims is record time, they turn their attention to the seas. None of them are sure if they’ll be able to make it back to the main Constant, especially with that monster that attacked them on their way here, But Karma hopes that they’ll at least get a better layout of this new place. 

They may have gone a little overboard, Karma realizes, as he looks at the assortment of cargo boats, armored boats, and even an Encrusted boat, decked out in all sorts of sails, nets, lanterns, and even a cannon. 

“At least we all get to pick from our boats now?” Kayano offers cheerfully. “I dunno, being really prepared can’t be that much of a bad thing, right?” 

“I guess so.” Nagisa looks at their boats with a face that Karma can’t help but chuckle at. It’s hard to believe that he was so green when he came to the Constant. How much trouble did Shuu have, helping him figure everything out? 

He might not have been the best person to be stuck with, he realizes awkwardly. At least Nagisa and Kayano were willing to go along with things if they needed to. He almost feels bad for how he acted. Almost.

Exploring the oceans is both challenging and fun, as he comes to learn. Sure, they venture too deep at first and get attacked by some swordfish, but that ends up paying off, as when they return to camp, Gakushuu manages to use them to create a weapon the Constant calls Cutlass Supreme, which is better than any weapon they’ve managed to get so far. Armed with boats, nets, and new swords, Karma feels like he could take on just about anything.

* * *

There are two odd birds called doydoys around, and although they haven’t found any more yet, Gakushuu insists that his “instincts” tell him the birds are more than a little bit useful. The problem, as mentioned before, is that there are only two of them.

“We could kill one and keep the other?” Kayano suggests, patting the doydoy on the head, using her ability to keep them calm. Nagisa wonders just when she had become so ruthless, but she seems to have picked up a general enjoyment for the fight while in the Constant.

“That would be a problem if the other one dies accidentally,” Gakushuu argues. “And we don’t know how long they stick around, or how much each one can give.”

Karma frowns. “Well then what are we supposed to do about them then? Maybe there are more, but maybe there aren’t and we’re stuck.”

Nagisa looks at all of them, who, despite their time in the Constant, seem to have forgotten the obvious solution. “We could leave them on a safe and secluded island and let them breed together.”

The other three stare at him for a moment. Then Gakushuu facepalms, Kayano groans, and Karma laughs, slapping him on the back.

“Honestly, what did we even do without you?” He says. Nagisa smiles, glad to finally be of help, even if it’s for something small.

He still can’t miss Gakushuu’s wince though.

* * *

They’re sailing at night for once, with their ship lanterns keeping them alive, when Nagisa notices that something in the water is glowing all sorts of colors. 

He’s not the only one. “Guys, come over here and check this out!” Kayano calls. They all sail over. 

They’ve been collecting jellyfish for a while at this point. With snakeskin to negate the shocks they give off, they can be collected by the dozen for some great food and put into some great recipes. 

But they’ve never seen glowing rainbow jellyfish before. They light up the ocean in all sorts of colors, shimmering under the night sky, between the occasional wave.

“It’s beautiful,” he says softly, looking down at the array of lights.

“I guess the constant really can produce something nice,” Karma muses.

“Yeah.” In the morning, they’ll most likely catch some of the jellyfish. But for now, they sit on their boats in silence, watching the light show in peace.

* * *

The wind picks up, and soon everyone is constantly being pushed in whichever direction it’s blowing at the moment. They craft fences around their grass, bushes, and other resources, and none too soon, because in the moments the wind dies down, they’re spending time collecting everything that had blown away, 

It doesn’t seem too bad though, until the storms hit. Snakeskin hats and jackets keep them from getting wet, but it’s still utterly miserable, going anywhere. 

“You know, about this time, winter would be starting,” Gakushuu points out, as they all gather together in a fifth, much larger tent, munching on California Rolls and listening to large pieces of hail bounce off the roof. Nagisa understands now why Kayano insisted he would be joining them in a shared tent. Even though it isn’t cold, the wet and the wind is much less frustrating when he can curl up with his friends and get through the storms with them. 

“No kidding.” Karma raises his arms, on which he is donning a simple t-shirt. “Say what you want about how much the water sucks, but at least we’re not freezing here.” 

“Point well made!” Kayano curls up between Nagisa and Gakushuu, and Nagisa finds himself leaning in. “And the rain makes a nice sound on the tent. I wonder if there’s anything new for us to fight this season! I hope so!”

Nagisa frowns, because it’s been bugging him for a long time now. “If you don’t mind me asking, what got you so into fighting? And caring so little about dying? I mean I get that the Constant is different and all, but what changed?” 

Kayano shifts uneasily, and looks towards Karma and Gakushuu for encouragement. With their supporting glances, she takes a deep breath and tells her story. 

It’s strange, knowing that the Kayano Nagisa always thought he knew didn’t really exist. But it’s also nice, knowing that he finally gets to meet the real her. He tells her so, and she smiles with relief. 

When Karma and Kayano have gone to sleep, and Nagisa is about to tuck in, Gakushuu speaks up. “Nagisa, you don’t have to worry about not fitting in. We’ve all had to find our place here, and everyone really cares for you. I promise you’ll be fine.”

_Right. Gakushuu’s ability._ It makes Nagisa a bit uncomfortable, because he’s usually reading others, not the other way around. But it is reassuring to hear. And things are getting better already.

“Thanks,” he says softly.

Gakushuu smiles. “Anytime.”

* * *

The bubbles they find in the ocean, according to the others, are a sure sign of something big to hunt, so Nagisa goes along with them as they sail the seas and dodge waves, following a trail mostly likely left by some sort of dolphin, or whale. With their new and faster sails from doydoy feathers, finding the bubble is much easier than it would’ve been otherwise.

They do eventually find a whale, and it’s white, with sharp red eyes, and a harpoon sticking out of it. As soon as it spots them, it’s on attack, chomping down and sending out massive waves that they need to skid around. 

Things go well at first, as they dodge and slice their way around it. Then Nagisa gets unlucky, and one of the massive waves knocks him overboard, sending him flying into the ocean.

It’s like a current is pulling him down, and every time he tries to swim towards the surface, he’s pushed back under by another wave. He’s running out of air, and he finds himself blacking out as the other’s boats rush towards his location. 

Then he’s a ghost again, and watching as his skeleton sinks towards the bottom of the ocean. Another blink, and he’s near one of the skeletons he left behind on land, which he uses to revive himself. 

He’s all alone now, and he has no idea where exactly he is. It’s not their camp island, that’s for sure. But the others will find him soon, right?

He waits there for over a day, watching as mobs completely ignore him, where they would’ve attacked any of his friends. The sun is setting and he’s starting to get hungry when the others finally find him, his boat in tow. 

“Nagisa!” Karma leaps out of his boat and rushes over. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Gakushuu couldn’t find your location, we were looking everywhere.”

“I’m fine now,” he says, trying to ignore the shake in his voice. “The mobs just ignored me.”

“Maybe that’s your ability,” Kayano suggests. “The mobs will leave you alone, but we can’t find you either.”

Before, he would’ve been glad to know that Gakushuu couldn’t just find him wherever he was. Now, it looks like that’s going to be a lot more than frustrating.

* * *

A few days later, Gakushuu’s instincts kick in again, and they find him on a small, sandy part of a nearby island, building a wall. A lightning rod and light source are set up nearby.

“What’s this about?” Kayano wonders, inspecting the wall, it’s not terrible, but not nearly up to Gakushuu’s usual standards. Nagisa and Karma wander around, trying to figure out just what is so special about this island in particular.

“Not sure yet,” Gakushuu admits. “But I think it’ll come in handy very soon. Does everyone have their cutlass?” They all do, of course. No one’s been going anywhere without one these days, save for when they’re doing some plant cutting and are bringing their machetes around. 

There’s a harsh sound of wind, moving far faster than they’ve seen before, and whirling over, knocking down trees as it passes, is a miniature tornado, with some sort of creature in the center. They all stare at it in shock, and Kayano readies her cutlass.

“It’s called a Sealnado,” Gakushuu says gravely, and then Kayano isn’t ready yet because she’s too busy laughing at the absurdity of it all. 

Thankfully she quickly pulls herself back, because the Sealnado ends up being _tough._ Throwing gusts of wind at them, spinning wide and trying to suck them in, and swinging at them with windy claws. Thankfully the wall is already built, which negates the worst of it, but Gakushuu ends up taking a hit for Nagisa and having his throat torn apart, which not only puts him out of commission for a bit, but seems to have rendered Nagisa unable to move. 

“Come on, he’ll be fine!” She punches him lightly. “We’ve got to finish this thing off!”

That seems to do the trick, as Nagisa gathers himself up and leaps into the fight, eyes blazing with an anger she hasn’t really seen since Takaoka tried to come and teach their class. 

Eventually, Gakushuu’s back, and with the four of them hacking away, the storm around the creature dissipates… and a large but very innocent looking seal flops down, looking up at them with sad eyes.

“Of come on, really?” Karma grumbles. “Now it’s going to pull the cute trick on us?” 

“We can’t kill it like this!” Nagisa insists, as Gakushuu picks up the small turbine the wind left behind. “It’s just not right!” 

“It tried to kill us first…” But Kayano looks at the seals cute eyes and realizes she can’t do the dirty deed. “Yeah, okay, we’ll leave it alone.” 

In the end, they let Nagisa keep the turbine, since he did the finishing blow. And with it, he outstrips all of them in his boat, so hopefully he won’t end up drowning again. All in all, it could’ve been much worse.

* * *

“Why did you take that hit for me?” Nagisa asks, as they collect doydoy eggs together from the secluded island, which is now sporting a very healthy population of the rare birds. “You actually died from that. And really horribly too!”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Gakushuu responds, as if he honestly has no idea. “I don’t want anyone dying as much as I have.”

Nagisa looks away. “I - sorry. I guess I was just thinking about what happened before we came here, and that’s not fair to you. Thanks for saving me.” He looks up. “Still, it’s awful, knowing someone died for you. Think about that next time, alright?”

“Sure.” Gakushuu laughs. “And you can always join Karma’s little club of yelling at me every time. I think he was the most pissed out of everyone.”

Nagisa can’t help but roll his eyes. There’s still a small amount of panic, but his mom isn’t here, he hasn’t seen her in months, and he knows Gakushuu won’t judge. But really, it’s obvious why Karma is always so worried about Gakushuu, and part of him is starting to understand Kayano’s desire to just get them together already.

* * *

They’re exploring the mangroves of the nearby island when they stumble across some water beefalo.

“Yes! Finally, they have some here too! Let’s befriend them and ride them and have a great time in the water, and fight against those blue crocodogs on our steeds!”

“Kayano, no.”

“KAYANO YES!”

* * *

Their snakeskin flooring has turned to wooden flooring, and during the hurricane season, Nagisa and his friends were busy putting sandbags just about everywhere they could, including around their already protected base.

And it’s a lucky thing they did so, because soon all the different islands start flooding. The group spends time separating into pairs and securing as many of their used islands as possible. Nagisa finds himself teamed up with Kayano most often, as Nagisa’s ability to be ignored by mobs and Kayano’s ability to turn them neutral or friendly towards her means whoever else teams up with them is going to have a lot more trouble, as the focus of most attacks. 

“You know,” Kayano muses, as they lay sandbags around the small doydoy island, “I kind of miss spring in the main constant. Sure, it was always raining, and sometimes frogs fell from the sky, but they didn’t bother me, and we didn’t have to deal with nearly as much flooding.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” Nagisa smiles as he finishes putting down the last sandbag. “Maybe we’ll be able to get back there, and I’ll be finding out for myself.” 

Kayano brushes herself off. “Hopefully. Not that I mind being warm and all, but we’re so much better prepared in the main Constant. There’s way more to fight over there. Not to mention Two, Glommer, and Chester are waiting for us there. You’ll love them!”

“I’m sure I will,” he agrees. “All this talk about the main Constant really makes him want to go. Of course, he’d rather find a way out of this world entirely, but they way his friends speak of them mainland as though it’s their home feels appealing. More so than these islands, at least.

* * *

“I thought dying to the shadow monster was bad, but I might just change my mind,” Karma grumbles, as Kayano helps him to his feet after his revival. “I hate those bugs.”

“As much as the Bunnymen?” Gakushuu asks dryly. The mosquitos have been wandering around this season, and one sting instantly poisoned Karma, who strength aside, was not immune to the stuff.

Karma scoffs. “No, they’re still top of the list.” 

Things are tough this year, especially since they’re in a totally new place. Gakushuu almost misses the wild comfort the Constant provides. But it’s been tougher in more ways than that.

After the huge struggle it was for him to survive his first year, he suspected returning to having nothing would be the same. And there were plenty of new monsters to die from, sure, but it was nothing like before. And sure there were four of them now, but everything had come together so smoothly… It was almost embarrassing, looking back on his struggles. Not to mention his ability had been useless then, whereas the others were far better equipped for surviving on their own.

So why had he come here first? Did Maxwell just want to see him squirm? And with so many others here now, was he even that useful when it came to survival?

It was all irrational, he knew. There was no reason to be thinking this, not when there are still easy hugs and laughter and collaboration with Karma and Kayano, not when Nagisa feels like he’s finally warming up to him. But the feelings were there all the same, and Gakushuu can’t shake them.

It’s after they accidentally stumble upon the Tiger Shark’s den (and Karma actually dies because he was too busy laughing at how absolutely ridiculous the thing looked), and Gakushuu is relaxing in his tent with some seafood gumbo, that Karma pokes his head in.

“Mind if I join you?” He asks, before coming in without waiting for a response and settling down next to him. “Mind telling me what you’ve been so worked up about for so long?”

Gakushuu sighs. “It’s ridiculous.”

“Probably,” Karma agrees. “But you’re feeling it anyways. So you might as well get it off your chest.” 

And so Gakushuu tells him his feelings, and Karma listens without interruption, just waiting for him to finish.

When he does, Karma takes his hand, and looks Gakushuu in the eyes. “If I had been on my own, I would’ve survived, sure. But I’d probably have gone crazy. Died to those nightmare monsters a ton more than I already did. Would we have found the Fuelweaver without you knowing just what to do? Or even made it through the Atrium at all? I honestly don’t know, and I don’t think I want to know.”

Gakushuu’s almost at a loss for words. “Karma-”

“You’re important, Shuu,” Karma insists. “To Kayano and Nagisa, and to me. If you think you’re useless again, just talk to us, okay?” And he wraps Gakushuu in a hug, which Gakushuu returns, and it’s really, really nice.

* * *

“I finished them!” Gakushuu says cheerfully, lugging his contraptions onto their armored boat. “Mind helping me set them up?”

Nagisa inspects the machines curiously. “What are they?”

“Tar extractors. For the tar we keep finding in the ocean. Might as well put that stuff to use, since it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.”

“Alright, let’s do this!” Kayano cheers. “Maybe we’ll get to beat up some of those nasty seal hounds as well.” 

Karma smirks. “I guess we can just leave that up to you while we set up the machines.” Which sounds rude, but they all know by now just how much Kayano enjoys beating up monsters. Sure enough, she immediately agrees. 

The tar starts chugging out right away, and so they get to crafting, making sea chests and Shipyards to repair their boats. Nagisa waits for his current boat to be repaired, and reflects on just how much easier things have gotten since he came here. If they’re living well enough now, he wonders just how much three years of work on the camps in the main Constant will be waiting for them when they return.

Of course, it’s been well over half a year now, that he’s been stuck in this place. There’s a homesickness, not quite for his mom, but for his other classmates, and even for Korosensei. He’s really starting to want out of here.

A laugh draws his attention, and he finds that Karma and Kayano are having a splash fight from their respective boats. Gakushuu sails up to them, and after a moment of watching in amusement, splashes them both. 

“Hey, Nagisa! Come over!”

With his boat repaired, Nagisa joins the fun. Sure, things aren’t the best, but at least he’s got three good friends along for the ride with him.

* * *

Things start heating up quickly, and so everyone gets out their umbrellas and create some endothermic fires, ready for this area’s version of summer. 

Only it’s not exactly like that. 

“Fucking run!” Karma yells at the top of his lungs, and dragoon eggs crash down around them. And out from those eggs hatch new monsters that immediately start coming for them. Lava rains down from the sky as wherever these things are coming from shows no mercy. A yell as Nagisa looking back to see Kayano crushed by one of the eggs, and she dies instantly.

When it’s over, and Kayano is revived, they break down the remaining eggs and put ice in the lava pools, which happens to give them a ton of obsidian. Unfortunately, none of them are quite sure what to do with it yet.

“Any instincts telling you what to do with it?” Nagisa asks Gakushuu. He finds that he isn’t quite being sarcastic about it.

Gakushuu grimaces. “Yeah, but you’re not going to like it.”

“Oh come on! How bad could it be?”

* * *

“Okay, so this is terrible.” Nagisa winces as he looks down. 

“I told you.” Gakushuu says dryly. They’re at the top of the volcano that’s been giving off the eruptions. “And we need to go inside it.”

“We need to do what now.”

Kayano grins. “Sounds fun. I’ve never died via volcano before. How bad can it be?”

“I dunno, dying in lava sounds pretty bad,” Karma snarks. “But I trust you, Shuu. Let’s go appease the volcano with a sacrifice, or whatever. All hail.” And with that, he jumps inwards. Kayano laughs and follows, with Gakushuu and Nagisa right behind them.

* * *

Funny enough, they don’t die, but find themselves in an entirely new landscape, sort of like when visiting the caves. 

It actually turns out to be pretty fun to explore. There’s some cool new plants (the elephant cacti prick, but they take out any crocodogs trying to get through, and Gakushuu gets more than a little excited when they find coffee plants), some obsidian rocks to harvest, and when they reach the center, there’s the lava pool, calmly bubbling away.

They’re looking at it when Gakushuu glances up sharply. “Don’t you dare, Kayano.”

She groans. “I know. But it’s like an itch! I just really wanna! It’s not like I’ll die permanently or anything.” Nagisa realizes what she means and gapes at her in horror.

“Your skeleton might burn away,” Nagisa tries to reason. “Then you’ll have to revive somewhere else. And we haven’t died here yet, so it might not even be in the volcano.” They’ve taken to storing skeletons on the boats to prevent the drowning issue again. Morbid, but effective. 

“You’re right.” She pouts. “Oh well. Maybe later, when I’ve got a skeleton up here.” 

“Maybe never,” Karma snaps. But they continue onwards. 

Eventually, they find some sort of altar surrounded by pillars, with lines running up what looks to be a sculpture of a volcano behind it. “The altar of snackrifice,” Gakushuu says, to their giggles. “If we feed it stuff it likes, it won’t erupt for a while longer. 

“It’ll probably like rare stuff,” Nagisa guesses. So he walks forward and drops in a doydoy feather. Sure enough, the glowing red through the lines on the sculpture disappear. Good thing we’ve got a ton of doydoys.”

“All hail snackrifice,” Karma snickers. It’s so absurd that they all find themselves laughing along.

* * *

A bit more exploring, and they come upon what the Constant calls the Obsidian Workbench. Considering just how much of the stuff they have, as well as how many dragoon hearts from charging beasts that they’ve ended up collecting on their way here, everyone’s excited to see what will come of this.

Nagisa and Kayano set up an endothermic firepit and a palm leaf hut, while Karma hovers by Gakushuu as he gets right to work. According to the others, in the ruins there had been something similar, which gave them the ability to actually teleport, so Nagisa’s pretty excited to see what this has in store. 

Sure enough, soon they’ve got their hands full with good new items, axes that fell trees far faster, sharper and hotter machetes, spears that hit harder and eventually set what they hit on fire, and huge bombs.

Kayano examines their haul. “This is some pretty good stuff. We’ve got bombs and boat canons and coffee and those purple fish that make going over waves simple. Think we could finally take on the Quaken now?”

The four of them look at each other, and for once, Nagisa shares the grin of a promisingly hard fight with amazing rewards. 

“Let’s go get this thing, and then go home.”

* * *

They end up finding the Quaken out in the deep ocean, near one of the ship graveyards. Tentacles arise from the deep, sending huge waves everywhere. Armed with quick sails, a turbine, and lots of coffee, they dodge around them.

“Let's do this like we did the Fuelweaver!” Gakushuu calls out. Karma, Nagisa, work on keeping it’s tentacles down, while Kayano and I will go for its head. Then we’ll switch off to keep confusing it.”

“Got it!” As Karma and Nagisa start hacking away, he and Kayano head towards the center of the chaos, dodging around the inkballs the Quaken sends out and going in with their cutlasses. The Quaken dives down under.

“It’s coming up near you two, switch out!” And then Gakushuu is fighting off tentacle after tentacle, racing over the waves and trying to keep everything at bay. 

Gakushuu chokes and blacks out when Karma drowns, hunches over with pain as Kayano is hit right in the stomach with a tentacle, and can barely think straight when Nagisa is chopped in half by the Quaken’s beak. They switch out more and more, to the confusion of the monster, as well as to give him time to breathe.

Feeling everyone’s deaths _sucks_. 

Gakushuu lands the final blow, and the Quaken lets out one last screech before plummeting into the dark waters for good. In its place, a massive chest pops out of the water, as well as it’s rather large beak.

Karma takes the beak into his boat while they open the chest. Inside, they find a thulecite crown and armor, great for the only one of them who doesn’t have any yet at home, a walking cane, fourteen pieces of obsidian, nine pieces of seaweed, and a new blueprint. 

“Not a bad haul,” He says out loud.

“No kidding.” Kayano inspects the items. “We could really use all of this stuff.”

“Um, guys?” Nagisa points behind them, and Gakushuu turns around. Rising out of the water is the biggest wave he’s seen yet. Before any of them have time to move, it crashes down, sending them all flying. Gakushuu hits the side of his boat, and everything goes dark.

He comes to on an island he hasn’t yet seen before, and pulls himself to his feet. The other seem to have landed there as well, and everyone is getting up with a groan.

“Where did we end up?” Nagisa wonders aloud. It’s a bit of a hard question to answer. The island seems calm enough, with some trees and grass behind them, but it’s hard to tell what lies deeper in. Not to mention where exactly on the map it is.

“We should head inwards, scope out the place,” he says. “Let’s pack this stuff up and take it with us, just in case. 

They wander through the trees, filled with an eerie sense of calm. It almost seems wrong, having an island on the constant without danger. 

Eventually, they stumble across a strange structure: what looks to be a wooden boat on a platform. The Constant supplies its name as “Seaworthy.”

“Should we sit in it?” Karma wonders.

Kayano’s already climbing in. “Sure, what’s the harm?”

“You should really never ask that,” Nagisa deadpans. But they all decided to get in the small boat.

For a moment, nothing happens. Then the odd sensation of being launched far, far away hits Gakushuu hard, and everything goes dark once again.

* * *

Nagisa wakes up to an unfamiliar sight. 

He seems to be right next to some sort of oasis, while a sandstorm is raging all around them. There’s a camp set up around the oasis, and for a fleeting moment, Nagisa wonders if there are others besides the four of them who set this up. 

Then he sees the other’s faces, the way they light up. This isn’t someone else’s camp. This is-

“We’re back!” Kayano launches herself out of the contraption and towards the oasis, and they all follow. There are three tents set up, along with many farm plants and plenty of machines. It’s not nearly as fancy as Nagisa expected.

“We didn’t use it that much,” Gakushuu supplies, sensing Nagisa’s feelings. “It was mostly part time, during the summer. We have two other bases here that we use far more often.” 

Karma’s laughing and dipping his feet in the small pond, and Kayano is rushing towards what must be her tent, and once again, Nagisa feels somewhat out of place. He may not have enjoyed the islands, but over the year, they had become a sort of home to him. He was going to have to figure everything out again. 

But… it might not be so bad. His friends proved time and time again that they were willing to listen and help. Maybe he just needed to tell them, and everything would be okay? 

With newly filled determination, Nagisa smiles and heads deeper into the oasis. “So how do I get my new tent up and running?”

* * *

They all have a long talk that night, and By the end of it, Nagisa feels much better than he did before. And even though it’s hot, they all cuddle together, and Nagisa finds himself in between Kayano and Karma.

It's funny, really. He spent so long worrying he wouldn't fit in, but now he realizes he’s had a place with his friends for a very long time now. The feeling is gone, and Nagisa can sleep easily.

* * *

“So, what do you think we should do about this? Should we go for it?”

They’re standing beside what looks almost like some sort of Ferris Wheel cart, with a pink and yellow umbrella over two contained benches that could easily seat them all. After a summer of Nagisa getting used to the normal Constant, they had reached autumn, and found this odd piece. Now they were back, packed to the brim with weapons and tools. There was no way there were going wherever this led unprepared.

Everyone looks towards Gakushuu. “We need to check it out,” he decides. “Not only is there a slim chance it could lead to the normal world, but since it just appeared, someone new from our world may be stuck wherever this leads. We can’t just leave them there.” He turns to them. “But we should decide together.”

“I’m all for it, obviously,” Kayano says.

“Might as well,” Karma adds. “Like you said, it could be useful. At the very least, we’ll get some new tools and weapons, like we did on the islands.” He pats his cutlass.

“I’m ready.” If everyone else is going, there’s no way Nagisa will be left behind, or hold them back. He’s ready to take everything on, with these people by his side.

It’s funny, actually. He started off thinking of how his mom would take things pretty often. He’s only thought of her sparingly these past few months. Maybe, just maybe, he’s found more people he would be happy to call family.

They hop into the Skyworthy, and Kayano wraps her arms around his shoulder. He leans into her, and sees Gakushuu slip his hand into Karma’s. 

The Skyworthy takes off, towards a new adventure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shiota Nagisa  
> Nickname: The Assassin  
>  _With a natural talent for assassination, as well as a mostly level head, Nagisa brings some much needed sense to this quirky group._  
>  Health: 125  
> Hunger: 150  
> Sanity: 200  
> Perk: Light Step, friends, enemies, or mobs, he can go unnoticed by them all unless he wants to be seen  
> Disadvantages: Is more fragile, and cannot successfully call for help while in stealth mode


	5. Tis the Sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okuda Manami joins the party, and a whole new world opens up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And with an even longer chapter, so consider that as a way to say sorry for leaving this for so long. Anyways, hope you enjoy!

Manami comes to laying on her back on a bed of soft grass, which is especially strange, considering how she was inside getting her homework done just a minute before. Was it a minute before, though? There’s a spot in her memory that’s hazy. Has she forgotten something?

She opens her eyes and sits up, looking around. She’s on freshly mowed grass, clearly well kept, hills rolling until they fade into more unkempt grass, and then some kind of forest, with trees that she’s never seen before. 

There’s something that looks like a farm in the distance. Maybe she could go there and ask what’s going on?

“Okuda!” She spins around just in time to see Kayano running up to her, and throwing her arms around her. “Phew, we ended up near you! Everything okay so far? Are you hurt?”

Manami blinks. “Um, no? Sorry, I just woke up here, with all these strange trees and bushes around. I don’t even know where “here” is. Do you?”

“Yes.” Manami looks up to see that they aren’t alone. Karma, Nagisa, and Student Council President Asano are there as well. What looks to be a small white pumpkin with legs bounces around Asano’s feet. Asano speaks again. “We’ve all ended up in a place called the Constant, which seems to be on a separate plane of reality than our own.”

“Time moves differently here as well,” Karma adds. “It’s only been a few days since school ended for you, I’m guessing?”

“Um, yes?” A part of Manami hopes that this is all some sort of prank, that they’ll tell her Korosensei really just dumped them off somewhere and they’re just going along with it. But if that was the case, then Asano wouldn’t be here as well. And those serious looks on their faces… “Is that not the case for you?”

Karma shakes his head, an exasperated smile on his face. Somehow she feels that it isn’t directed at her. “You got it. It’s been a year for Nagisa, two for Kayano, three for me, and four for Gakushuu.” He nods towards Asano. “Oh, and you can call him that, by the way. He doesn’t mind.”

“Really?” Not that Manami doesn’t like Karma, but he does have a reputation of being a jokester, especially when it comes to people like Asano.

So she looks at Asano questioningly, and his smile is more genuine than she expected. “Really. I don’t mind being called Gakushuu at all.”

“Okay then.” She fidgets awkwardly. “Then should you guys call me Manami? Because that feels kind of weird, no offence.” Her parents are the only ones who call her Manami, after all, and Asa - Gakushuu is still a stranger, and the others she’s only really known for half a year. 

Kayano shakes her head. “Nah, don’t worry about that. I still go by Kayano, and that’s all cool.” She adjusts the bag on her shoulder, and Manami realizes that she and the others are all holding huge packs filled with who knows what kind of items. “Oh, and that’s Chester, by the way.” She points at the strange pumpkin animal, whose tongue is now lolling out of its strange mouth. He’s kinda like the group dog, and also he’s an ice box, which is great.”

Manami bends down curiously, and Chester pads on over to her. She pets his top, and his whole body seems to wag. If there was any doubt in what the others had told her, it’s gone now. This can’t even be a dream, because she doesn’t dream up stuff like this. “Nice to meet you Chester,” she says. Chester barks in response, and she can’t help but laugh.

“Should we set up camp now?” Nagisa sets his bag down. “This isn’t the normal Constant, by the way, but a different section above the normal part,” he informs her. “There’s also this part that’s a string of islands. It’s pretty neat.”

“Yeah, let’s set up camp.” With Gakushuu’s words, everyone is emptying their bags, which are filled with all sorts of materials, including tons of silk, rope, gold(?) and various tools and weapons. 

Kayano squeezes her arm. “Don’t worry, Gakushuu has this thing where he can sense everyone else in the Constant, so we knew you were here. Which means we brought enough materials for you to get a tent as well.” True to her words, Gakushuu passes her a bundle of materials.

“I can help you set up, if you’d like,” he says. “I’ve done this the most times, after all.”

Manami smiles gratefully. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” With the five of them together, and Gakushuu and Karma instructing her on how to go about it, their tents are set up relatively quickly. 

Apparently everyone has some type of skill, so while Gakushuu can sense everyone else, Kayano can befriend mobs and Nagisa can be ignored by them. Due to this, Gakushuu has the two of them go out for materials while he, Manami, and Karma continue to set up camp.

“There’s something important you need to know, of course,” he tells her seriously, as they finish building something called an alchemy machine. “Death isn’t permanent here, and you can return to life using your own skeleton at any time. That being said, please, please don’t go out in the dark without some sort of light. There’s a monster in the dark, and you will literally be torn to shreds.”

“It’s not fun,” Karma pitches in. “Trust us, we’ve all been there.”

“It doesn’t sound fun,” Manami agrees. Just thinking of being torn to pieces gives her the shivers, even if they’re right and she can come back from it. “The monster won’t hurt us in our tents, right?”

“Right.” Gakushuu feeds the next machine some gold, and it starts up. “But we’ll get you a thermal stone soon, so you can have light in your tent anyways.”

“Thanks.” She guesses that would be more comforting, and as she places her new bedroll in her new tent, it strikes her just how casually they’re talking about death. Like they’ve seen so much of it, they’re unaffected. 

If she stays as long as them, will that happen to her?

“If you don’t mind me asking, how many times have you guys died? You made it sound like a lot.”

Karma snorts. “Oh, it is. I dunno about Kayano and Nagisa, but both of us have lost count of how many times we’ve died.” Gakushuu nods in agreement. “You get used to it, don’t worry. Doesn’t mean you should just get yourself killed, of course.” 

“Right.” Manami looks away. The prospect of dying over and over again is a terrifying one, if she’s being honest.

She feels a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry.” Gakushuu’s voice is firm. “We’ll do what we can to help limit your deaths.”

As odd as those words are, there’s something nice about them. “Thank you.” 

The sound of many paw steps fills her ears, and Manami turns to see Kayano and Nagisa returning. Kayano is grinning as wide as she can, and Nagisa has an embarrassed smile on his face, one that says he tried to stop her, but failed.

Behind them is about ten cute creatures that look like a mix of a fox and a puppy, all training behind the green-haired girl.

“Look what I found!” Kayano says. “Aren’t they just the cutest?”

Karma immediately starts arguing with her about keeping them, and Gakushuu lets out a long drawn sigh, and Manami figures this is all par for the course in this strange world.

* * *

She sinks deeper into her bedroll that night, watching the dark opening of her tent. Gakushuu and Karma said the night monster can’t reach her in here, but that doesn’t mean that the fear of what could be right outside her tent door is gone. In fact, knowing something is out there, waiting to rip her apart, is more than enough to keep Manami awake.

But they said that she wouldn’t come in the tent, and they were so sure about it. She’s safe. _She’s safe_. Right? 

She curls tighter into herself, listening to the sounds of the outside world. A part of her wants to head over to someone else’s tent to ask more questions about this “night creature”, but that would involve going into the dark to get there, and she doesn’t want to risk it. 

Why did this happen, and why to her? Why to three of her classmates and the Student Council President? It just makes no sense! 

She’ll ask them tomorrow, because she’ll be fine tonight. 

Manami finally falls into a fitful sleep.

* * *

She crawls out of her tent the next morning, completely exhausted. Everyone else is already up, cooking breakfast and moving some sort of berry bushes next to their camp. Kayano is talking loudly with Karma about when they should create their stone walls. 

Manami adjusts her glasses and coughs lightly. “Um, good morning everyone!”

They all turn to look at her, varying expressions of shock upon their faces. Manami has no idea why they would be shocked. Maybe at how late she slept in, since they were all up before her? She tugs on her sleeves nervously. “Um, I stayed inside all night, like you guys said, just had a bit of trouble sleeping. Sorry I wasn’t up to help out earlier.”

“It’s fine,” Gakushuu assures her. “It’s just - you’re alive! And not killed by the shadow creature.”

Manami’s eyes widen. “You - you said it couldn’t get into my tent!”

“It can’t.” There’s an odd sort of respect in Nagisa’s gaze. “That’s why we told you to stay in there. It’s just, no one else has listened. We all died on our first nights to that thing because we thought those who were already here were joking or playing it down. You’re the first to survive the night.”

“Well, I technically died on the second night, but that was because I didn’t sleep at all and just stroked the fire during the first.” There’s a genuine, excited smile on Gakushuu’s face. “Thank you for actually heading the warnings.”

“Um, you’re welcome?”

Kayano lets out a laugh. “Who knew the thing we sorely needed here was someone with common sense?”

“I’m pretty sure we all knew we needed that,” Nagisa says dryly. 

Karma chuckles and wraps an arm around Manami. “Glad to have you here, Okuda. I think things will be a lot better now that you’re around.”

Honestly, Manami has no idea why her trying to avoid death by night monster warrants this much excitement, but she’s glad to be a part of the group regardless. “Thank you! Just tell me what I can do to help!”

* * *

The less cultivated areas of this Constant are stranger than anything Manami’s seen, save for Korosensei, of course. There’s peacocks with blinking eyeballs on their feathers, pink-leaved trees right out of a children’s story book, more of those fox-puppy creatures (pogs, Gakushuu called them), and somewhat terrifying hippo-moose animals that lurk in the nearby pond. 

Still, the others seem far more at home here than where they had set up camp, hacking away at grass, looking under rocks for flint, chopping down the odd trees with an almost frightening efficiency.

They’ve given Manami an obsidian axe, which apparently cuts down trees in less time than normal axes. She tries it out, and quickly understands how the others seem so good at this. There’s something about the constant that just makes it oddly natural.

They’ve also given her a strange device that lets her teleport to anywhere she can see, and Kayano braided a part of something called “queen bee’s crown” into her hair. 

(“It’s to help keep up your sanity,” she says, like losing sanity is just something that happens here.

“What would happen to me if my sanity gets too low?” Manami asks hesitantly.

Kayano grins. “That’s when the real terrors start coming out.”) 

Manami shakes her head and tries to focus on chopping down trees.

“When we ended up on the islands, we had nothing with us, and had to start all from scratch,” Karma tells her as he shows Manami how to craft a backpack to fit more of her stuff in. “At least this time we’re more than prepared.” 

“So the islands were a tropical part of the Constant, and where you, Kayano, and Gakushuu started is the main, temperate part of the Constant?” Manami guesses. “What does that make this then?”

Karma shrugs. “Not sure yet. I mean, it’s in the sky, so it could turn out to be anything.” 

That’s another weird thing, when they walked to the other edge of the cultivated grass, all they saw was, instead of ocean, clouds floating on past. Still, it was probably as effective as any ocean at keeping them there. Manami didn’t really want to fall right through those droplets of water. 

Nearby, Gakushuu yelps and Kayano screams as a plant with giant, sharp, teeth suddenly starts snapping at them, nearly catching Gakushuu’s shirt in its jaw. He pulls out a giant cutlass and dives in, hacking away at it before jumping out of range and switching off with Kayano. Manami watches in amazement as they take the creature down. 

They venture further into the jungle, collecting vines and scaring away squirrels that try and steal their things. 

And then, out of seemingly nowhere, come the spider monkeys. Gigantic black angry looking apes with massive spider legs sticking out from their backs. 

Apparently Manami’s friends can still be just as terrified as she is, which is nice to know. Instead of fighting, they collectively decide to leave those things alone, and come back when they’ve got some long range weapons on them. They teleport themselves out of the jungle, and Manami can understand just why the others seem to love the more magical part of the Constant so much.

* * *

They’ve tending to their base when a shadow starts soaring overhead. It’s small at first, and in the shape of a bird, but as time passes it seems to grow larger and larger. Chester seems extra nervous, constantly looking up at the sky and barking. 

“You know, pretty sure nothing’s supposed to be that big,” Karma remarks dryly, as the shadow seems to span over the entire land. “At least, nothing on land or air. That Quaken was ungodly huge.” 

“A BFB,” Gakushuu informs them lightly. “A big fucking bird.” 

“Yeah, no shit,” Karma mutters. 

Kayano looks much happier than them. “Think we can fight it? I wonder what this big guy would drop?”

Nagisa coughs. “Somehow, I don’t think it’s that easy.”

“Um, guys?” Manami points to the sky. Right above them, the biggest and possibly the most terrifying creature she’s ever seen in her entire life is descending upon them. One of its feet lands on their fireplace, instantly reducing it to rubble.

“Hey!” Kayano swings at the foot. Her cutlass glances off it without leaving even a scratch. “Shit, that’s not good.”

The bird’s giant mouth looms over them, and Manami freezes in place, unable to move. She hears yelling, but it doesn’t quite reach her as the BFB’s mouth opens, then another inside it, then another mouth inside _that,_ which snatches her up around the waist. Another second, and she’s finding herself in the darkness of the BFB’s mouth. 

Manami sits there for a moment, surprised she isn’t dead, but unsure of what to do next, before someone else is thrown in beside her. Gakushuu falls on top of her, knocking them both over as the BFB takes flight, and everything is in movement. 

At least her glasses aren’t cracked. That would be a nightmare. “Where do you think this thing is taking us?” She wonders softly. If they end up really far away from the others…

“I don’t know. I wish I did.” Gakushuu rolls off her. “So, somehow we aren’t dead. That nice, even if unexpected.” 

“What would’ve happened if we died inside this thing?” She wonders.

“I don’t know. You need to revive next to your own skeleton, but the skeleton would be inside the bird, so I guess either we’d need to go out the other way or carve our way out from the inside.” Gakushuu winces at the thought. “Glad we just seem to be staying in the mouth for now. Death by stomach acid isn’t really something I’d like to add to the list of bad deaths.”

Manami probably shouldn’t ask, but she can’t help but be curious. “What’s on that list already?”

Gakushuu thinks. “Getting my artery chomped by a monkey, bleeding and freezing to death at the same time, death by dehydration, death by starvation, getting shredded to pieces by the night monster, death by drowning…” The list seems to go on and on, and some of them seem so impossibly weird that for some reason, Manami almost finds herself laughing. She can almost sense Gakushuu’s smile and realizes that’s what he was hoping for. 

“At least I’m getting to know you know,” she says. “I know our classes are rivals, but you’re a really nice person. I can see why the others like you a lot.” She had assumed Asano would be like the rest of the Virtuosos, mean and looking down on her and her classmates, but Gakushuu has proven her wrong since the very first day.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” He puts a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll reconnect with everyone else, don’t worry.”

“Yeah, of course!” She already feels a lot better.

* * *

After about thirty minutes of darkness, the BFB lands again and spits them out somewhere. Manami blinks at the sudden sunlight. 

They seem to be in the thing’s nest, large enough for both of them to fit in very comfortably, with lots of strange petrified items around them. The nest seems to be in a place Manami has never been before, odd grey rock covering the ground and pale trees poking out. 

We could probably mine these for something,” Gakushuu mutters, looking over the petrified objects. “Hang on, that’s a familiar skeleton - what the hell Karma?”

Manami looks over to see a ghost floating over a skeleton. There’s a flash of lightning, and Karma is standing next to it, looking pleased with himself. 

“The bird was taking off, so I hitched a ride on the outside,” he explains. “Sure, I fell off at the end and hit the ground hard, but I’ve died in far worse ways.”

“Now you’re sounding like me,” Gakushuu deadpans. Karma gasps dramatically, and he lets out a long sigh. “Since you’re here, mind helping us mine this things?”

“Of course. I brought extra supplies for this very situation.” Karma picks up the backpack lying next to the skeleton and hands them some shiny pickaxes. 

“Will Nagisa and Kayano be okay on their own?” Manami worries. 

“They’ll be fine,” Karma assures her. “Mobs mostly ignore them, remember? As long as Kayano doesn't Leroy Jenkins herself into anything-” He frowns. “On second thought, we should get back as soon as possible.” 

They do manage to get some different colored gems from those strange objects, which the other two say can be used for a number of good things. Then the three of them head out, collecting everything they can, including an odd but pretty looking scepter, before Gakushuu finds a hole in the ground, and the three of them jump into it. 

“Lights on.” Manami turns on the miner’s hat they found, and Gakushuu lights up some sort of star staff. 

Rather than the caves the others have described, they seem to be in a group of connected rooms in some sort of ruin. There are lots of things to mine, and the boys seem insistent on it, but when Karma tries to mine a pillar, everything starts to shake as rocks and other items start falling on their heads.

Manami yelps as a scorpion falls on her hat, shaking it off and reaching for the cutlass she was given. It isn’t there. She didn’t have it on her when she was picked up by the BFB. The scorpion lunges, and then there’s a second one falling that also goes straight for her, and there’s pain- 

And then she’s a spirit, floating next to her skeleton as the boys finish off the scorpions. 

“Okuda? It’s going to be okay,” Gakushuu says softly. Try going into your skeleton. I know it sounds funny, but it’ll work.” 

She heads his advice, and after a flash of light, Manami is scrambling to her feet. She - she just died. She was genuinely dead. The thing right next to her is her own skeleton. 

Karma wraps an arm around her shaking shoulders. She’s shaking? Manami didn’t realize it. “It’s gonna be okay, Okuda. Promise. And hey, you made it longer than all of us combined without dying! You set the record.” 

“Does knowing that help?” Gakushuu wonders.

“Sort of.” Manami shivers. “How do you guys stand it? That was awful, and you’ve been through it so much.” Karma had died earlier, when he had fallen from the BFB. It hadn’t really hit her, because he had come back the second she had noticed, but he had really been dead, and just brushed it right off. 

“I guess you get used to it, after a while.” Karma doesn’t sound too happy about his own answer. “Do you need to sit down for a while?”

She shakes her head. “No, I’m okay. I’ll be okay.” She refuses to hold her friends back, just because she’s new to all this. She might not be as good a fighter as her classmates, or Gakushuu, who has been here for so long, but maybe when they get back, she can find a way to apply her own expertise with science to this place? 

They collect all the fallen items and move from room to room, trying to find the way out. The strange ruins are full of traps, and Manami nearly experiences her second death by poisonous darts before Gakushuu jumps in front of her and takes them instead. He revives himself quickly and turns to her. “Are you alright?”

“I just saw you die,” she points out. “I mean, thanks for saving me? But you - you just died.”

Karma scowls. “Yeah, he does that with everyone, trying to take the killing blow for them. It’s really annoying, but we haven’t gotten him to stop yet.” 

“Rather me than someone else,” Gakushuu insists. “Besides, it looks like this room has more than just darts in it. He lights up the staff again, And there’s an odd blue statue of a pig on a pedestal. Gakushuu picks it up, and they all duck as the darts come again. 

“Well, now that we’ve got this neat thing, I’m so ready to get out of here,” Karma decides. Manami wholeheartedly agrees. They continue on through the tunnels, until they finally emerge in a rainforest, a golden entrance with a pig on top of it surrounding the exit. 

“Well this is new.” Karma examines the entrance with interest. “I don’t think we’ve seen this before.” 

“We haven’t explored the entire rainforest,” Manami points out. “We can tell the others about it when we find them.” They make their way out of the forest, and towards what appears to be the cultivated lands.

Right away, something is different, there are towers scattered throughout the grass, and the pigmen the others have only described in fancy armor wandering about. 

Gakushuu looks at them with wide eyes. “These aren’t anything like the pigmen back in the main Constant.” 

A pigman stops in front of them and looks at the scepter in Manami’s hands, the blue pig statue in Gakushuu’s backpack, and his eyes widen. “TIS FOUND! MUST RETURN TO QUEEN!”

“Um, okay.” The scepter does look pretty queen-like. 

“We were just going to do that,” Karma says smoothly. “Could you maybe point us in the direction of the Queen so we can give these to her?” 

The pigman happily does so, and they start off. “We’re definitely not in the same place we started,” Gakushuu tells them with a faraway look. “I can still sense Kayano and Nagisa, but it’s like when we were in the tropics, and on separate islands. I think this place has islands as well.”

“Well that’s just great,” Karma grumbles. “How are we supposed to… get… back…” He looks up in awe.

In front of them is what looks to be a fantasy town, with lamplights and walkways and gardens and and pigmen and women dressed in fancy outfits wandering around. There are shops and homes, and actual civilization, something Manami hasn’t seen in days. The pigmen around them all bid them welcome in fancy wording, welcoming them to the “Hamlet”. 

“Holy shit,” Karma breathes. “These are actual houses. Seriously, I think we can go in these places!” 

“We should find the queen,” Gakushuu says softly. “Then we’ll check them out.” 

The palace is obvious, much larger than the rest of the buildings, and much fancier as well. They enter, and besides the fact that it’s really, really nice to have a roof over her head once again, the palace is really nice, with marble floors and a plush royal throne, where a pigwoman in a fancy dress and curled hair sits. 

Gakushuu clears his throat as they walk over. “Queen… Malfalfa. We have your scepter and statue.” They hand the items over to the queen. Malfalfa stands and looks at them curiously. 

“THOU HAST RETURNED MINE SCEPTER AND STATUE,” she says. “TIS A FINE JOB. AS A REWARD, THOU HAST ACCESS TO MINE GALLERY, AND TWO ROYAL KEYS FOR THEM.” She gives them the keys and leads them to a room off to the side, where three objects sit in cases. 

As the queen stands outside of the room, they inspect the cases. Karma rests his head on Gakushuu’s shoulder, looking over him. “Do your instincts tell you what these can do?” 

“Yes, I think so.” He motions to the key. “This is called the Key to the City. We can build our own buildings with it, so long as we have the materials.”

“So we could make our own house?” Manami wonders. 

Gakushuu blinks. “Yeah. We can have our own house. I haven’t slept in an actual house in over four years.” 

“I barely even remember what it’s like.” Karma plays it off as a joke, but something in his voice says otherwise. “So, that sounds really useful. What about the others?” 

“Well, that’s a can of Silly String. I think we can build another Seaworthy and Skyworthy wherever we want with those.” He motions to the Hammer. “And that’s the Executive Hammer, which can destroy any shop or building in a Hamlet like this.”

Manami decides to speak up. “Maybe we take the key and the Silly String? There’s probably a way to trade something else for the hammer, and those sound more useful.” 

“Agreed.” They take the two objects. 

Malfalfa greets them as they pass. “COME BACK WITH MINE ROYAL CROWN, AND RECIVE THE THIRD KEY.”

“Of course.” Karma smiles at her. “Now, is there any way to get to another island?”

* * *

Nagisa’s putting up their third drying rack as Kayano finishes building the wall around their base when Chester signals the return of their friends. Nagisa shares a look with Kayano, and the two of them sprint over to meet the others.

“What happened?” Kayano demands, hugging them tightly. “It’s been three days! We had to cook without you!”

“You all can cook!” Gakushuu protests. “You don’t need me for that.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t taste as good,” Nagisa admits. Gakushuu’s always been their best cook, and it just wasn’t as good without him. “We did get the farm fully up and running, and we caught a gobbler trying to steal our berries.” He glares at Karma. “Also, you can’t yell at anyone else dying for a month after that stunt.” 

“That’s fair,” he says immediately. “Anyways, we have a lot to tell you guys about.”

* * *

So there’s two towns called Hamlets on this other island, and they have actual buildings and stores?” Kayano confirms. It almost sounds too good to be true. When was the last time she was inside an actual house? It was years ago, now. Okuda might not realize how big this is, but the others do. “And the pigmen actually let you inside?”

“That’s right,” Gakushuu confirms. “We went inside a couple before we left. They’re selling clothing and weapons and food, and all sorts of other things. We’d need money to buy anything though, and we don’t have any.” 

“Well, we haven’t needed any,” Nagisa points out. “Is there anything there we can’t make or grow ourselves?” 

Karma shakes his head. “Not that we saw. The guards do have a cool new type of weapon though. A Halberd.”

Kayano perks up. “Oh, I want one already!” Sure, her cutlass is amazing, but she could always use another cool weapon. Maybe next time they stopped by, they could ask. Or maybe she could just steal one or something. 

Gakushuu must sense what she’s contemplating. “Don’t even think about it,” he tells her lightly.” She sticks her tongue out at him.

“There were also a lot more gems there that we could buy instead of find.” Okuda looks deep in thought. “Actually, do you think I could work with them at some of those machines? I just have this feeling, like I should put them together in certain ways.”

“Like an instinct,” Gakushuu offers. She nods. “Of course, no problem. It’s getting late though, so we should start getting dinner ready. There’s some new recipes here I’d like to try.” Kayano and Karma cheer.

* * *

“So, what is this?” Karma looks over at her curiously as the second staff comes together. “What do they do?”

Manami turns away from the newly built Presihatitator and lifts up the blue staff. “I’m pretty sure it’s magic, like those teleporters and crowns. Um,” She spots a Pigeon landing down close to them, and points the staff at it. Her hand chills slightly, and a blue light shoots towards the bird, freezing it solid. “Well, it does that. I think the red one lights things on fire.”

“That’s amazing.” Gakushuu examines the red staff with bright eyes. Chester sniffs it curiously from his lap. “This is amazing, and useful. If I had to guess, your talent lies with magic. I’ve never been able to make something like this. I think that even if we can use it, only you can make it.”

Manami beams, glad to finally have found a way to help the group. “I’m pretty sure I can make other things as well. I’ll make as much as I can. I’m more of a long range fighter anyways. I always did better with guns.” She looks at Gakushuu. “Um.”

“You mean to assassinate your homeroom teacher,” he clarifies.

“We told him, don’t worry.” Karma grins. “Not much point in keeping secrets here in the Constant.” 

“Oh, good.” Manami sighs in relief. Kayano had pulled her aside and told her the truth, about her real name and reason for coming to E Class. She had explained that everyone else knew, but Manami wasn’t sure if she had omitted the Korosensei part when explaining to Gakushuu. “So, how much extra materials do we have that I can work with?”

“More than you possibly need,” Kayano calls out, returning with a handful of Peagawk feathers. “Shuu and Nagisa are massive hoarders.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that!”

“It’s saved our lives on more than one occasion!” Manami finds herself laughing with the others at their protests.

* * *

As Kayano and Nagisa go exploring into the rainforest, Manami and Gakushuu get to work on their crafts, Karma and the Pogs watching out for them. Occasionally, the two of them trade objects, and Chester runs in between the three to boost morale. 

It’s nice, spending time with them. It’s really nice spending time with Nagisa and Kayano too, of course, but Manami really likes hanging out with these two boys. It’s been a couple days since she’s started crafting her magic items, and she’s learning how to use them really well, which means that after over two weeks, her death count is only two, and being able to hold her own makes her feel a lot better. 

Manami binds some papyrus papers together and glances over towards Gakushuu, before looking down at his crafts in surprise. “Are those gas masks?”

“One for each of us,” he confirms. “I’ve only been able to make these since we got here, so I’m thinking they’ll come in handy sometime soon. Better to craft them before we need them, right?” 

“Makes sense to me.” She finishes her book and holds it up. “Do you mind if I show you this?”

“Go ahead.” Both boys come over to watch as Manami readies the spell inside. There’s a light shining from the pages, and then all the recently picked berry bushes are full again, and all their new crops are completely grown. 

Karma whistles. “That’s one hell of an ability.”

“I’m sure I can make more books.” She closes the one she has. “I don’t know what any of the others will do yet, but I want to try!” 

“We’ll help you with whatever you need,” Gakushuu promises.

* * *

Kayano and Nagisa return, looking slightly haggard but mostly happy.

Kayano collapses dramatically on the ground. “There are bats in the Pig Ruins! Evil bats that attack us! They drop pig skins though, so that’s nice.”

“We went to the other island and figured out how to get some money,” Nagisa explains. “You can give certain shopkeepers certain items for Oincs, their currency. Maybe if we get enough and then buy the right stuff from them, we can finally build that house.” Nagisa loves his tents, sure, but it would be amazing to finally have a real building to be inside again after so long. “They pigmen also mentioned that it’s going to get really foggy soon, so we should be prepared for that. We got some Pith Hats that apparently should help.”

“We could always head back down to the main Constant,” Karma points out. “I mean, we can recreate that Skyworthy now, and it’s still autumn there.”

Gakushuu shakes his head. “Not enough materials yet. We’ll just have to make due for now.”

* * *

Sure enough, just like spring in the Constant and hurricane season on the Islands, rain and lightning start coming down heavily. With plenty of lightning rods and snakeskin clothing, it’s manageable, but that doesn’t make it any less dreary. So when they’re not fighting those crazy iron hulks and mining them for iron, or taking care of their captured birds and growing plants, the five of them huddle up in a sixth, much bigger tent, filled with as many furs and fluffy bedrolls as they had left. 

Karma relaxes in between Gakushuu and Okuda. “So, about that jeweled crown the pig queen wanted. Think we can get it anytime soon?”

“I wouldn’t,” Nagisa warns. He’s currently munching on a steamed ham sandwich, one of Gakushuu’s new recipes. One of the pogs that managed to worm their way into the tent tries to take a bite, and he holds it about his head. The pog gives him puppy eyes, and Nagisa relents, letting the pup munch on a little piece of lettuce. “Remember all those cute glowflies we killed for light bulbs? The ones we didn’t kill have turned into rabid beadles that hunt in packs, and they’re prowling around the rainforest.”

“Maybe they’ll get in a fight with those spider monkeys and both sides will kill each other off?” Kayano suggests hopefully, splayed across Nagisa and Gakushuu’s lap.

“You’d better not drop any of that taco on me,” Shuu says fondly.

“I’ll drop what I damn well please.” 

“Maybe those Snaptooths will get in that fight as well,” Okuda adds. She was literally chomped in half by one a few days ago, and seems to have developed a deep hatred for them. She’s working on a magic book that could hit multiple enemies at once, and Karma’s more than excited to see what she creates.

* * *

The rest of the humid season is spent in high spirits. The most hoped for scenario, a three way battle between spider monkeys, snaptooths, and rabid beetles, actually does occur, and Manami is first in line to snap up the leftovers and freeze the stragglers so that the others can hack them up. 

They also find some nettle plants, which they quickly relocate closer to their base. As the two who find building in this world the easiest, Manami and Gakushuu get to work right away on a smelter, then a sprinkler, so they can keep these neat plants watered and constantly get more food from them. 

Manami continues to work on her magic books, and comes across a tome that can summon multiple bolts of lightning from the sky. Heading to a relatively open area where the rest of the group isn’t, she casts the spell and sure enough, lightning starts hitting the ground all around her.

Then she herself gets struck by two consecutive bolts and promptly dies before reviving and promising herself that she’ll wear that protective gear next time. 

They’ve still got some leftover oincs they aren’t spending, so Gakushuu puts them to use, creating a sort of trumpet-gun the Constant calls a Blunderbuss. 

He then immediately gives it to Manami. “You prefer ranged weapons, right? This will need gunpowder, but that’s easy enough to get with what we’ve got. You should take it.” And so Manami finally has her real weapon like the other’s cutlasses. It’s an exciting moment, to be sure.

* * *

Just as the next season is about to hit, they finally have the right materials to build the Slanty Shanty, an actual home just for them. Everyone else is as excited about this as Gakushuu is, and with the five of them working together, their very own house is up in no time. 

Even though it’s raining and foggy, the inside is dry and nice, and comes with its own storage and simple light fixture. It’s not much, to say the least, completely barren other than those two items, but it’s the start of an actual home. 

They all stand there at the entrance, taking it in. “I might not have been camping for as long as you guys,” Okuda says, “But I can still really appreciate this. It’s so nice to have a home.”

“Just think, on the mainland it’s freezing and wintery, and on the islands there’s a hurricane going on, and here we are, in our own comfy house,” Kayano points out dreamily. “We’ve come really far, everyone.” 

“If we get the new Skyworthy up and running, we can build a Shanty on the mainland,” Karma smiles at the possibilities. “Play our cards right, and we’ll never have to worry about the cold or the night monster ever again.” 

While this is all nice and good, there’s still the fact that they don’t have any furniture for their house yet. They move their bedrolls inside for the night, but something just feels so off. None of them can fall asleep. 

Gakushuu can feel it, not just in himself, but from the others as well. So he concentrates, trying to figure out what it is.

…. _Oh_. He finds himself actually laughing out loud.

“What’s so funny?” Kayano grumbles.

“Nothing. Be right back.” He pokes Karma until he’s up, explains his plan, and the two of them grab a lantern and head outside. 

“Are you sure this will help?” Karma asks.

Gakushuu shrugs. “Not a hundred percent. But pretty sure.” 

Everyone is fully awake when they get back, looking at them curiously. Nagisa’s the first to pop the question. “Wait, is that our giant tent?”

“Yup!” Karma grins. “Pretty sure this will make the transition easier.” They reset everything up, and the five of them head inside. 

Curled up together like that, sleep comes a lot easier.

* * *

Hayfever comes with the lush season, and those gas masks are finally put to good use. Nettlerolls also come in handy to keep them from sneezing, and so Gakushuu is making as many as he can for them and storing them away in iceboxes and Chester. 

With that problem settled though, there’s not much else to worry about when it comes to seasonal patterns, and they find themselves exploring more and more. 

They come across a new set of ruins and caves, where they run into a new and highly unnerving type of enemy. They look a lot like ants, and according to Gakushuu are called Mants, and they seem to travel in packs. Manami doesn’t want to use her Blunderbuss underground, so she sticks to staffs and that extra cutlass they bought at one of the Hamlet stores. 

She also has her Lazy Explorer, just in case. Manami’s pretty sure everyone else is keeping there’s around as well. Being able to get out of danger quickly isn’t something to pass up on, after all. 

They do find some interesting chests filled with honey, but for the most part it just seems to be filled with mants of all kinds and nothing else. 

That isn’t to say the mants can’t be tough, of course. In at least one room so many mants swarmed them at once they couldn’t teleport away, and all of them died except Karma, whose ability to endure more damage kept him alive until they could come back and finish all the monsters off. 

“You know, how about we make this all a one time thing?” Karma suggests, after they’ve gone through what must be half of the rooms in this giant cave. “Not that I’m not fond of fighting swarm after swarm of monsters, of course, but I don’t think there’s any point to coming back once we’ve seen everything.”

“There are always more things to fight elsewhere,” Kayano agrees, although she looks pretty disappointed. 

“Not to mention all we’re getting from these things are monster meat and chitin, which we already have plenty of.” Gakushuu looks almost bored as he slices down another mant. 

Eventually though, they do find something interesting: A cave within the cave, the entrance covered in red jewels. 

Inside are warrior mants, bigger and meaner than the regular ones. Manami turns to her friends. “Think we could just teleport into the next room? Would they follow us?”

“Worth a shot.” Karma pulls out his lazy explorer and is gone in a flash, appearing on the other side of the room. The warrior mants don’t notice him, and so they all follow suit. 

After about three rooms like that, they find themselves in a better lit cave, with a monstrosity in the center. After the BFB, Manami hesitates to call anything else “massive”, but this monster qualifies in their own right, towering over all of them. It has two sets of wings and eyes, an open mouth that could swallow half of Manami in a single bite, lots of little purple legs, and a long tube-like body curled around itself. It seems to be sleeping for now, at least. 

“Constant says this is the Queen Womant,” Gakushuu tells them. “It’s….”

“Kind of gross?” Nagisa offers.

“Yes, that.” 

Kayano grins. “We should fight it! We still have almost all of our medical supplies, so we can last a long time. I wanna see what this thing can do! Besides, if it’s really some sort of boss, it might have an important item we need.” 

She has a point with that last part. Everyone looks to Gakushuu, who frowns in thought.

“Alright, we’ll fight her. But _be careful_ ,” he finally says.

As soon as she’s touched, the womant is awake, screeching at an almost deafening tone and raising to an even higher height. The ground above and around them shakes, and two warrior mants fall from the sky with all the rocks.

“Okuda, can you freeze those?” Gakushuu calls out.

“On it!” It takes a couple tries, but eventually the warriors are frozen solid. “It doesn’t last forever though, so we’ll need to keep an eye on them!” Rabid beetles start falling from the surface, and Manami freeze them as well. It’s a close call, as one of them nearly takes a bite out of her leg.

The womant blows into the end of her own body, and little holes in her lower-tube open up, letting out some sort of noise. Kayano and Karma both drop to their knees, eyes looking around at things that aren’t there. Nagisa and Gakushuu are still on their feet, but look much worse for wear.

“She can drop everyone’s sanity like that?” Gakushuu shakes his head in disbelief. “Okuda, are you alright?”

“Yeah.” She fingers the ribbon of Queen Bee Crown in her hair. “Kayano gave me this when I first got here, apparently it protects me from losing sanity?” She watches worriedly as Karma and Kayano battle what appears to be nothing, only for something inky and black to pile up on the floor.

“Of course! We all have ribbons of that, why didn’t we bring them?” Nagisa slaps his forehead. The earth shakes all around them as Chester runs up to Gakushuu, who rummages through the dog’s chest, before pulling something out and giving it to Karma and Kayano, who look much better after. 

“This’ll have to do for now,” he admits. “We’ll collect the nightmare fuel later, let’s finish this creature off.” 

It takes a little longer, but with the five of them working together, they finish off the womant and kill the warrior mants before they unfreeze. There’s still a jutting mountain of rock covering most of the room, so Karma gets right to work mining it. 

“You did awesome!” Kayano swings an arm around Manami and pulls her in for a hug. “That was your first boss battle and you rocked it!”

“Thanks.” Manami can feel her smile widening. “Is that what we’re calling them? Boss battles?”

Nagisa shrugs. “They do sort of work like boss battles.”

“Well, what do we have here?” They look over to see the throne completely mined, and Karma wearing what must be the jeweled crown. He puffs up his chest. “Tis our ticket to the final gallery key! Thou hast done well, I must say.” 

Gakushuu, picking up the rest of the stuff the queen womant dropped, rolls his eyes and gives Karma a fond smile, before snatching the crown away from him. “I think we could all use a reward after this little misadventure.” 

“To the palace!” Kayano cheers.

* * *

They finally manage to rebuild the Skyworthy, which means they can now go to any part of the Constant they want. Still, the group decides as a whole to stay in the Hamlet world, since while the other parts are still in winter, or experiencing hurricanes and monsoons, lush season isn’t too hard to deal with.

But with so much time on their hands, flourishing crops Okuda can make grow even faster with magic, lots of loyal guard puppies with the pogs, and enough oincs to buy whatever they need from the Hamlet, Karma decides to spend some time decorating their Shanty, and soon everyone is joining him. 

The tent stays, of course, because after so long it’s still much easier to fall asleep curled up next to his friends than alone, but they’re able to make a second room and move the tent there, while sprucing up the first with actual flooring, wallpaper, good lighting, and even some furniture. The longer they stay, the more the house feels like a home. 

They discover a new set of ruins on the island with the Hamlets, one that has an odd rock formation above it. After fighting and hacking their way through several scorpions, as well as avoiding as many pressure plates as they can, the group emerges on what has to be a new island, one that has strange ancient walls crumbling all over the place. 

Eventually, those crumbling walls lead to a small area of strange crumbling pillars, and in the center is a large, sparking fountain. 

“What is this?” Okuda looks over the fountain curiously. “Kind of a weird place to put a fountain.” 

“And this ominous carving looks pretty ominous.” Nagisa nudges the stone around the carving with his foot. “Should we leave it alone for now?” 

“Yeah. We might all be carrying those Queen Bee ribbons now, but we’re not prepared for another boss fight.”

Karma looks over at Gakushuu curiously. “You think we’d fight a boss if we disturbed the fountain?” 

“With that ominous carving, which is exactly what it’s called by the way, and the fact that this fountain is called the “Fountain of Youth” by the Constant?” Gakushuu gives a wry smile. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure.” 

They do come back later, in the end, and while they die a lot to the Pugalisk, they also get a lot of cool new stuff to even it out.

* * *

For about a week, the pigmen are uneasy. While they still trade, they constantly say things like “Doomsday is near!” “Woe, Destruction, and Decay!” and “Fear and Porktent!” While it’s pretty unnerving, there’s nothing to signal what exactly they’re talking about. Still, it has everyone on edge. 

Then one day, the sky goes red and remains that way. Their pog’s eyes also glow red, and have suddenly all left the campsite for the first time since Manami arrived in the Constant. The pikos have gone just crazy, running towards them with the intent of attacking every chance they get.

At the very least, Chester stays by their side the whole time, the white creature unaffected by the change. 

“You know that huge sense of dread we got when we first arrived in the Constant?” Karma says, looking up at the red sky. It looks more like night than day, even if it should be about noon. “I’m getting that feeling again.” He’s right. Manami feels it too, much stronger than when she first arrived in the Constant. 

“Is this called anything?” Nagisa asks Gakushuu.

Gakushuu looks grave. “The Aporkalypse.” 

There’s a silence. Manami wants to laugh at the name. Considering the strong sense of dread and ominous sky, the laughter dies in her throat. 

Nagisa and Gakushuu head over to the Hamlet island to see what the pigmen are doing now. They come back looking a lot worse for wear. Not that Manami, Kayano, and Karma can say much. While the other two were gone, no less than fourteen vampire bats attacked them. 

“The ruins are haunted now,” Nagisa informs them grimly. Lots of angry pigmen ghosts roaming around. And all the villagers and guards are boarded up in their houses. Looks like we’re on our own.”

Karma frowns. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we might just need to have a tactical retreat. Can we use the Skyworthy?”

“I checked. It’s locked down right now. We’re stuck here.” Manami had wondered if Kayano would be excited at the prospect of fighting more things, but it seems that she’s just as affected as the rest of them. Manami shakes her head.

“There has to be a way to fix this, right?” She gestures to the red tinged landscape. “I mean, this can’t just be it.” 

Gakushuu sends her an approving look. “She’s right. I’m positive there’s still another island we haven’t explored yet, and since there’s a good chance the Aporkalypse is only happening in this part of the Constant, I doubt Maxwell would want us to just stay up here for the rest of eternity.”

Maxwell, the Shadow King. No one except Gakushuu has met him, and that was only twice, both times before even Karma ended up here with him. Still, his name has Manami shivering if that was the man - _was he even a man_? - that brought them all here, than they still had no idea what he wanted with them. How did this Aporkalypse fit into his plans? 

Kayano “You’re right. And everything is tinged with this red light at all times, so the night creature can’t reach us anywhere or anytime. There’s no way that makes it happy. There’s got to be a way to reverse it.” 

“Looks like we’ll be finding that last island then.” And so they have their mission.

* * *

The entrance to the set of ruins with a somewhat terrifying creature on top is the one that will lead to the last island, and they all know it. What follows is a mad dash (or rather, teleport) to the other entrance, avoiding every angry ghost they come across. Everything is still tinged with red on the other side, but Gakushuu is sure they are in the right place. 

They walk in mostly silence, weaving in and out of rainforest trees and tall grass, trying to avoid any sort of danger they can, because they just don’t know what will happen next, what else has changed. Gakushuu finds himself bumping shoulders with Karma, and he’s thankful for the closeness. On the other side is Okuda, and even if they haven’t spent as much time with her as they have with each other and the other two, they’ve already grown close. 

With Nagisa and Kayano flanking each side, ready for anything, Gakushuu knows there’s no one else he’d rather be in the Constant with. 

Everything darkens, and in front of them, a shockwave rumbles through the ground as a large black apparition appears. Like a more solid terrorbeak given a more human shape, it has a large red cloth wrapped around parts of its body, as well as glowing white eyes and teeth. 

_The Ancient Herald_ , the Constant supplies. Gakushuu draws his cutlass. “Everyone ready?” 

In response, the Herald summons a small army of snaptooths, which pop out of the ground and hop towards them. 

“Is he throwing waves at us?” Kayano looks mildly offended. 

Okuda pulls out one of her books. “Everyone protected against lightning right now?”

“Should be.” Karma grins. “Go for it.” 

Okuda casts her spell, and lightning shoots down from the sky, much of it striking the snaptooths and a few even striking the herald, who roars in frustration. They move in, quickly finishing off the rest of the plants before going for the Herald. 

The massive creature dives down into the earth, before popping up again, throwing all of them backwards. Nightmare creatures gather around it. 

“We need to split up,” Gakushuu suggests. “Like we did with the fuelweaver. Okuda, Nagisa, can you take care of the creatures it summons? Freeze them, put them to sleep or set them on fire, whatever. That way it’s less of a free for all.”

“No problem,” Nagisa promises. 

Kayano grins and lifts her cutlass. “Leaving the big fry to those of us who have taken on giant shadow monsters before?”

“Seems like he is.” Karma laughs, and as Okuda and Nagisa distract the creatures, they jump forward, ducking under the Herald’s swipes and avoiding his attacks, hacking away at him. 

The monster summons poison dart frogs, and Okuda puts them to sleep with a spell. It summons spirits, and Nagisa stabs them silently, the ghosts not realizing he’s there until they’re dead again. Meanwhile, Gakushuu, Karma, and Kayano continue to dodge and duck, chipping away at the Herald.

Eventually, the Herald is on its last legs, and absolutely furious. It opens its mouth, filled with horrible shiny teeth and dripping nightmare fuel-

There’s a boom, and the Herald falls backward, letting out one final howl before vanishing. Behind them, Okuda has the Blunderbuss pointed at where the monster was. 

Everyone takes a moment to catch their breath, before Kayano cheers. “We did it!”

“You were awesome,” Karma tells Okuda, who rubs the back of her head, embarrassed. 

“Just doing what I remember from Korosensei’s lessons is all,” she insists. Kayano tackles her. 

“Group hug!” And no one can resist something like that, so all of them join in.

* * *

They speed on through the final ruins and come to a strange room, where a stone calendar glows red on the floor, obviously inspired by the Mayan calendar. 

“So this is the Aporkalypse calendar?” Manami guesses. “And those plates on the floor - we step on them to get it moving again, I think. That’s what it looks like, anyways.”

“That’s our best guess.” Karma smiles at her. “You should be the one to press the plate. You did finish off that Herald monster, after all.” It was obviously more of a group effort, but Manami appreciates the gesture nonetheless. 

Besides, she’s gotten pretty skilled in all sorts of ways since coming to the Constant, hasn’t she? She was already doing better with Korosensei, but the do-or-die of this world, and the magic she’s learned has made Manami feel even more confident in her abilities. 

Manami steps on the plate, and the room lightens up. The calendar stops glowing, and starts moving forward slowly. The noises of ghosts from the other rooms disappear. The Aporkalypse is over.

* * *

By unanimous decision, the group decides that while being in the Hamlet lands was fun, they’re all ready to return to (or, in Manami’s case, visit for the first time) the mainland.

“Are you ready, Okuda?” Gakushuu asks, as they board the Skyworthy, everything they want to bring back in different packs around them. Chester is cuddled up in his lap. 

Manami smiles. “Yeah, I’m totally ready. And I think - I think I’d like you all to call me Manami, if you don’t mind.” 

She receives bright smiles from everyone around her.

* * *

The rest of spring is spent at the main base camp, where Manami puts up her first tent in the mainland Constant. They could build another shanty, and they might, but for now, everyone is just enjoying being home. 

Summer comes, and after spending some time in the caves, they move out to the oasis. Manami finds herself spending a lot of time fishing at night next to the fire pit. She’s careful to keep the fire going, of course, but it’s just something peaceful for her to take her mind off of everything.

Peace seems to be coming in spades these days, now that she thinks about it. After the constant chaos of the Hamlet, camping and farming down in the mainland is nice. Just the five of them spending time together, laughing at dumb jokes, sleeping under the stars as the sandstorm rages around them. Sure, there’s the antlion to appease, but it’s not too much trouble at all. 

Manami continues to work on her magic, and she and Gakushuu enjoy tinkering with the alchemy engine together. There may have been a few science related deaths that were totally on accident, but they were more fun and slightly embarrassing than anything else. And she’s quickly learned how to fight hounds and other mainland nasties. 

The end of her first year in the Constant draws to a close, and things are pretty okay.

* * *

“No one else is here,” Gakushuu says suddenly, frowning.

Manami turns to him. “What do you mean?” It’s autumn now, and they’re back in their main camp after taking a quick trip to the volcano in the islands to get some more coffee beans. It was an experience, to say the least.

“Each year, someone new comes to the Constant, and I can feel when it happens. This is always the day they come. But the time has passed, and no one else is here. I think it’s just the five of us from now on.”

“But why?” Manami still doesn’t understand. What was the pattern? If it was that they were E Class, then why was Gakushuu here? Manami was already friends with the other three, but if it was their friend group, then why wasn’t Sugino here? 

“I don’t know,” he admits. “But I think maybe one day we’ll find out.”

That sounds a little ominous. “Are you instincts telling you that?”

Gakushuu shakes his head. “No. Just a feeling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okuda Manami  
> Nickname: The Scientist  
>  _With her great intelligence and eager mind, Okuda brings with her new discoveries, and the possibility of finally going free._  
>  Health: 115  
> Hunger: 125  
> Sanity: 300  
> Perk: Mystic Knowledge, she has a vast instinctual knowledge of magic items, and the skill to use them properly.  
> Disadvantages: More fragile than her companions, and more prone to hunger. 
> 
> -
> 
> All the main sections of the Constant may have been discovered, but all the questions still remain. Exploration time is nearly over, and soon, our survivors will start digging for answers. 
> 
> Until next time! Hope you enjoy, and please don't forget to leave a review!


	6. Shoot for the Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year spent back in the Mainland. Things are different this time, however.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, new chapter! Act 1 is finished, and this kicks off Act 2. There's a good chance the chapters will be a bit shorter, but they'll also come out more frequently. I hope you all enjoy!

The new year starts off with Nagisa and Manami’s first trip to the ruins. Specifically, to the Atrium. 

Nagisa shivers as they make their way through the light plains, picking lightbulbs as Kayano, Karma, and Gakushuu point out different areas they visited before, and what they did there. They pass by the village, where the evil monkeys apparently used to live.

“Used to?” Manami wonders.

“I cleared out every single one of them.” Karma’s grin is a little savage. It’s hard to say if he hates the monkeys more than the bunnymen, but he certainly hates them all the same. 

“It’s been a while since we’ve been down here.” Kayano is examining everything curiously. “I wonder if our old skeletons are still hanging around?”

Gakushuu gestures in front of them. “We might find out soon. Everyone ready? We’re heading deeper in.”

They’re as ready as they can be. Nagisa’s wearing thulecite armor, which generates a forcefield and migates most of the damage he could take, and he’s got his trusty cutlass ready, like everyone except Manami, who’s brought her Blunderbuss along. Since she’s physically the weakest of all of them, she’s also wearing the bone armor, which is the best armor the group has.

“I think this place is creepier than anywhere else we’ve visited,” Nagisa admits as the tread softly along, trying to avoid the nightmare lights and damaged clockworks. “It just gives me the chills.”

“I haven’t been to the islands, but out of everywhere else, I agree.” Manami glances around nervously. Nagisa can probably guess what she’s thinking. “With all this shadow stuff down here, do you think it’s connected to Maxwell and the night monster?”

“That’s our best guess.” Karma looks thoughtful. “It’s not like anyone or anything is willing to tell us, but the fuelweaver’s heart was called the “Shadow Atrium”, so there’s a good chance it’s connected. Not to mention all the nightmare creatures down here, which are definitely connected to Maxwell.” 

“Think your feeling is going to lead us to more answers on Maxwell?” Nagisa wonders. The reason they’re down here in the first place is because Gakushuu had gotten a strong feeling that they needed to visit the Atrium.

“I’m not sure. Last time I felt like this, we ended up in some massive fiery pig arena. They did mention something about “They” and a throne, I think, so it’s possible we’ll learn a bit more.” Gakushuu shrugs helplessly. They’re walking in blind here. 

A death or two later, and they’ve made it to the strange portal in the Atrium, which is glowing white and black in the center.

Kayano looks excited. “Just like before, with the arena. Think we’ll get cool outfits and fight waves of warriors again?” 

“Only one way to find out.” Karma steps through first, and they all find themselves pulled along with him.

* * *

When Karma comes to, the first thing he realizes is that he’s wearing new clothes again, this time in dark blacks and blues, and western period-style clothing rather than red and orange battle armor. A glance around shows that everyone else looks very similar. 

Rather than in an arena, he seems to have come out of some murky pool and onto cobblestone, surrounded by gloomy structures and a very surprised talking goat. 

“BAAA! Who are you?” The goat gasps, and Karma wishes he could be more surprised at a new talking animal. 

“We’re….travelers,” Nagisa offers up. “We ended up in this place from our own world, and we’re not quite sure how to get back, is there any way…?”

Kayano lays it out flat. “Is there some sort of task we need to do here? Like something we need to complete before we go back?”

“I suppose so,” the goat admits. “I doubt the Gnaw will let you back without satisfying its massive cravings.” She points upwards, and Karma follows her hand to the sky, where a giant hole with rows of teeth swirls around impatiently. “Yes, that seems about right. If you cook well enough to satisfy it, the Gnaw just might let you escape.” 

“So are these food cravings?” Manami wonders. “What does this Gnaw like?” 

“All sorts of meals. Snacks, vegetables, bread, desserts, anything we down here can make. It does have preferences of course.” The Gnaw moans, and it shakes the ground, sending a shudder through Karma’s body. The goat looks nervous. “No more time for idle chat, we must be cooking! Here, take these, they will trade for much.” She hands them each some coins. “I am Mumsy, and I will help when I can. Now get going!”

Gakushuu studies his coins, and a smile spreads across his face. “Cooking, huh? And it’s got to be good enough to feed this Gnaw? Shouldn’t be much of a problem.” 

Karma grins. He’s learned a lot about Gakushuu over the years, and one of those things he’s learned is that his friend absolutely loves to cook, and is very good at it. “What do you need the rest of us to do?”

“Hmm. Let’s start this off with a bit of a snack. Maybe some onion soup?” He looks over at Mumsy, who nods rapidly. “Alright, lets see if we can’t get some ingredients to whip this up. Manami, do you mind making the trades?”

“I can do that.” 

Gakushuu sends her a smile. “Fantastic. Everyone else, for this we’re going to need some onions, obviously, as well as some flour and milk.”

“There are more traders around to help,” Mumsy informs them. “My son Billy is one of them, if you wish to buy some more items.” Everyone spreads out to collect the items, and when they return, Manami and Gakushuu have the crockpot set up and ready to go. Gakushuu makes the soup as quickly as he can, even for Constant standards, and they place it on the Altar of Gnaw. It levitates in the air for a moment, before the Gnaw snatches it up and chomps down, sending a shower of more coins their way. 

“Good, Good! The Gnaw is satisfied,” Mumsy cheers. “But now it wishes for a Vegetable!”

Gakushuu strokes his chin. “Right. We’ll go with something simple, a classic Constant dish. Perogies, I think.”

Karma punches his shoulder lightly. “Well, we all know how to find ingredients for that, at least.”

“And we can use these coins to get better silverware as well,” Nagisa points out. “Don’t know if that’ll help anything, but it won’t hurt.” 

Sure enough, when they send up their new dish on a fancier plate, even better coins rain down on them. 

Mumsy claps. “Wonderful! The Gnaw is wishing for a bread dish next!”

“I’ve been seeing some crabs around here,” Gakushuu points out. “If we could make crab rolls…” 

“I have the traps you can use,” Mumsy promises.

Karma and Kayano set up the traps and wait for their prey. “Gotta admit, I’m a little disappointed we don’t get to fight anything this time,” Kayano says. “But Shuu seems to be enjoying himself, at least.”

“This is his element,” Karma agrees. “And I think it’s nice that things are “cook or die” rather than “fight or die” for once.” 

They catch their crabs, and Gakushuu sends up his crab rolls to a very pleased Gnaw.

“You’re doing so well!” Mumsy praises.

“I’m going to feed this thing until it pops,” Gakushuu vows. “Okay, what’s next?” 

The city around them is dilapidated, and Karma’s honestly impressed by the remaining citzen’s optimism. Everything around them just seems so broken down, the opposite of what it was like in the arena.

This continues for a while, until they have enough shiny rainbow colored coins from the Gnaw, and a key drops down from the sky. Gakushuu inserts it into the gate, and the portal opens up once again. 

“Go, hurry back to your world,” Mumsy says. “Billy and I will follow you when we can.”

“Good luck yourself,” Manami tells her. “Stay safe!” 

They all jump back through the portal.

Then they’re back in the Atrium, still in that cool period-style attire, but with their armor and weapons over it. 

Manami lays down on the ground and smiles. “That was pretty fun! We cut it a little close there at the end, but it was a neat place to explore.”

“Usually cooking is the least stressful thing in the constant,” Nagisa chuckles.

“That’s because it’s almost always me who’s cooking.” Gakushuu looks pretty happy as well, despite his words. “I’m just a little disappointed that we didn’t learn anything about the Constant, or Maxwell.”

Karma shrugs. “I think we all are. “But it was worth a shot.”

They head out of the Gateway room. Karma’s about to leave when he sees Gakushuu hovering near the gate. “Are you coming?”

“Yeah.” Gakushuu shakes his head and follows him out. “I just feel like there’s something there, something we’re missing. I just wish I knew what.”

* * *

After everything they’ve gone through, taking down the Bearger is surprisingly easy, at least for Manami, who hasn’t seen the giant beast before. Still, according to Karma, he Gakushuu and Kayano had taken the thing down without casualties when it was just the three of them, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising. 

They spend a lot of time around the beefalo herd, watching as Nagisa Two runs around and barks and nips at stragglers. Manami sits on one of the beefalo in her saddle, stroking Chester, who is curled up in front of her and wagging his tail.

Nagisa rides his beefalo over. “Autumn’s been pretty nice, huh? A lot different from the islands and Hamlet.”

“Were the islands that bad early on?” Manami asks, curious.

“Not too bad,” he admits. “But really warm, and until we got the boats going, we were stuck on this one island. Not to mention everything needed to be built again, just like in Hamlet. This is a lot better.” 

“Yeah, I think so too.” Sure, they can’t take it easy, not really. There are still all sorts of things out to get them. Hound attacks, Treegaurds, and the occasional giant like the Bearger. Not to mention constantly making sure they have enough good food to last them through the winter. But it’s peaceful, especially compared to this time last year.

“What are you two chatting about?” Kayano rides up to them, a smile on her face, Glommer hovering by her side. Somehow, she had convinced Karma and Gakushuu to try and race her on beefalo, and there had been a brief but angry argument about whether using one’s talent to charm her opponents animals into being slower counted as cheating. It looks like either Kayano’s defense has proven solid, or she just doesn’t really care anymore.

“Just that things seem a lot better around this time then our years beforehand,” Nagisa says. 

“I wouldn’t get too comfortable,” Kayano warns. “You never know when things will start to go south here. Besides, Gakushuu said you two have an idea for how to find out more?”

“Idea isn’t the best way to describe it,” Manami admits. “More like when it comes to the whole “Constant instincts” thing, we’re pretty sure there’s at least one item where we each have a piece of the puzzle. So we’re going to try and make whatever it is soon.” 

She hopes it has to do with this world, and how to get out of it. It’s already been over a year, and even if time hasn’t really gone by in the real world, she wants to get back, and badly.

* * *

About a week later, they have their new device. “It’s called a divining rod.” Gakushuu looks over the object in his hands. It’s got a zigzagged rod for a bottom, and what looks to be an old fashioned radio on top. When turned on, it makes a soft beeping noise. “I think it’ll lead us to something important.”

Karma takes the offered rod. “Well, our schedule is pretty cleared up for the next few days until our plants regrow. Maybe we could go out searching for whatever this leads to?”

“Makes sense to me,” he agrees. “But I think it should be a unanimous decision. All in favor?”

“Of course I am.” Kayano grins. “Even if it doesn’t lead to a way out, It should be interesting anyways.”

“But maybe it will lead to a way out.” Nagisa looks hopeful. “I’m in favor.”

Manami looks thoughtful. “Let’s just make sure everything’s stored away properly, and that we’re well equipped for whatever we might need to deal with. Then I’m glad to go.” 

And so the next day, with everything prepared, they all grab their walking sticks and head on out. As they go further away from the camp, the rod starts beeping faster and faster, which can only mean good things. 

At some point, they pass the original pigmen village, and everyone can’t help but stop and stare, taking it in.

“This is a mess,” Kayano finally says. “Was it always this much of a mess, or are we just used to pigmen doing better for themselves?”

“The latter, I think.” It’s amusing, how different they are from their Hamlet counterparts. “Maybe we could introduce them one day.”

Karma rolls his eyes. “Let’s keep the Shakespeare up in the clouds. No need to hear more “thou’s” and “thee’s” down here.” 

Eventually, they reach a chessboard biome, the one Gakushuu hasn’t visited since his first year in the Constant, which used to have a statue of Maxwell on it. Now, it instead has a strange wooden thing in the center. Which is what it’s called, apparently. _Wooden Thing_. Something about it puts him on edge.

“This is new,” he tells the others. “It wasn’t here last time. And I think there are more of them out there for us to find.”

Something glints in Kayano’s eyes. “Looks like the hunt is on!”

* * *

There’s something… different about late autumn this year. 

There are more living trees for one. Kayano passes them by all the time when walking through a swamp or forest, instead of just rarely. Little toys are scattered across the world, and instead of gold, the pig king is now giving out candies. Little bats seem to be flying everywhere, and Merms are filling the swamps, just begging to be fought.

It’s all really obvious, of course, but it gets even more so when Karma finds a new chest near their base filled with classic Halloween outfits. 

“So, the Constant is celebrating Halloween now?” Nagisa looks super confused, and Kayano can’t really blame him.

“They call it “Hallowed Nights”, I think,” Gakushuu says lightly. “Which makes sense, considering All Hallows Eve. It does seem to be very western based, but a lot of things in the Constant are. None of it seems to be harmful, so at least there’s that.”

Manami looks pretty excited. “There’s a new machine I can create called the Mad Scientist’s Lab. I wonder what kind of Halloween-like things I can make there?” That does sound pretty cool. 

“We could put up some decorations,” Karma offers. “Even if we can’t go trick-or-treating, or whatever, we could still celebrate a bit.”

And so they do just that, finding all sorts of decorations scattered across the Constant, putting candles in the spooky trees and letting the little bats float around their base. Gakushuu carves out some of their pumpkins to make jack-o-lanterns, and puts them around their finally set up Shanty. 

On the actual Hallowed Night, or what they can assume is the night, as everything just seems the spookiest, they gather around their old fire pit and try to tell spooky stories. 

“You know, I don’t think this is going to work,” Nagisa admits. “I mean, we’ve all seen really spooky stuff, and died really horribly. What could be spookier?”

“Aw, you gotta get in the spirit!” Kayano encourages him.

Karma rolls his eyes. “He’s got a point. Scariest thing we’ve got now is that Maxwell guy. We could tell horror stories about him, but honestly? I’d rather not give him ideas.”

“Fair point.” Manami looks downcast for a bit, then brightens and rushes to her science lab, returning with a few vials of potions. “How about this then? We could try out these creations, and see what they do!”

“Shouldn’t you know what they do, since you made them?”

“Nope!” She smiles innocently. “I just threw them together. I know what the Constant calls them, but I don’t know what they do.”

Nagisa eyes her warily. “Isn’t that kind of…”

“Dangerous? Scary?” Kayano grins and holds out her hand. “Perfect. Pass me one to try.” Manami handed her the bottle, but it slipped through her fingers and poured out onto the fire. Immediately, the fire sprung up and started bubbling wildly. Kayano clapped at the sight.

“Guess it’s a good thing you didn’t drink that,” Karma says with a smirk. “My turn.” He takes the offered bottle, dips it on the ground to see if anything would happen, and when nothing did, he takes a swig. Then he seems to instantly relax.

Gakushuu watches him out of the corner of his eyes. “How do you feel?” 

“Fantastic, actually.” Karma leans back. “Like I just got an amazing night's sleep and everything in the world actually makes sense and can be figured out.”

“Interesting.” Manami checks the bottle. “This one is called the Psychosis Experiment, by the way. A drought of Psychic Fortitude.”

“Maybe I should be worried about that, but I can’t bring myself to be.” 

“I’ll have one next.” Gakushuu pours a bit on the ground like Karma, then takes a sip. “Interesting. This feels a lot like some of our health items, especially those Jelly Beans. The taste is kind of tangy though.” He makes a face.

“That’s just the Hallowed Night’s effect,” Manami assures him. “I used red caps for this.” 

“Works for me then.” He nudges Nagisa. “Your turn.” 

Nagisa takes the next potion and pours a bit out behind him. Immediately, a living tree springs out from the ground, already seemingly lit up from the inside. “Oh, that’s really neat!”

“I’ll take the fifth one.” Manami uncaps it and after checking to see if it does anything to the ground, takes a sip. “Mmm, It makes me feel nice and cozy. I like this one.” She puts it away. “Guess they weren’t so scary after all.”

“But that was still really fun!” Kayano finds herself yawning. “I guess maybe we should turn in about now.” She’s got a warm bedroll in their Shanty tent calling her name. “Happy Halloween everybody.”

Nagisa adds a bit more fuel to the fire so they don’t need to worry about the night monster, and Karma and Gakushuu help Okuda put away her lab. “Happy Halloween.”

* * *

They’re farther out away from base when Karma and Kayano run across a sight they haven’t seen before. There’s a new pig house, some cobblestone in front of it, some grass, flowers, and carrots scattered around, and an odd metal potato-looking thing. 

“What should we do with it?” Kayano wonders, poking the Potato thing to see if it moves. “I mean, this wasn’t here before, so it might be important.” 

“Let’s take it with us back to base,” Karma decides. “Gakushuu will probably know what it is and what to do with it.”

“It’s a Potato-thing,” Gakushuu says.

Karma snorts. “Yeah, we figured that much out for ourselves. Does it have an actual name?”

Gakushuu’s eyes glimmer with amusement. “That is its actual name. Potato-thing. Like the wooden thing.” The amusement fades. “There’s a good chance they’re connected, I think. Maybe we should put this by the wooden thing, to see what happens.”

* * *

“I’d like to go back to the Hamlet for a little bit,” Manami admits. “There’s something there I think we missed last time.”

“You want to go back _there!?_ ” 

“The Fountain of Youth,” Gakushuu guesses. “We defeated the Pugalisk, but we never ended up taking anything from the fountain. You want to see what it does.” 

She nods. “That’s right. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually. We were so cautious around that place, we didn’t reap all the rewards we could’ve gotten. And I know what was because of me, and I appreciate it, but I want to see what we should’ve gotten!”

It wasn’t just for her. The original three of them have been trying to limit Nagisa and Manami’s deaths as much as possible, seeing how they couldn’t do so for themselves. So far, Gakushuu thinks they’ve actually succeeded. Manami still doesn’t know what dying to the night monster is like, even after all this time. “Alright. I’ll come with you. I think we did leave some extra stuff at our Hamlet base I’d like to collect. We should be careful though.”

“And I’m coming too, of course,” Karma says, walking on by. “Don’t think you two can go anywhere without me.”

Gakushuu and Manami share a smile. After so many years, he can’t even imagine going somewhere without Karma. 

They let Kayano and Nagisa know first, of course. It takes them a little while to get everything they need, but a couple days later, they return with some magic water, iron from those iron hulks they had to fight, and other assorted materials. 

“Do you have an idea of what to do with this stuff?” Kayano asks curiously, watching as Manami works. With all their farming and gathering done for the day, everyone is resting around their base. 

“Not exactly.” Manami continues to tinker. “But I’m sure it’ll be amazing when I finally figure it out.”

* * *

The days get colder, and soon snow is falling on the ground once again. Nagisa bundles himself up in a winter coat, but this is his first Constant winter - he’s not used to this level of cold. 

“Maybe we could go to the islands,” he offers, as they string up more jerky for the long nights ahead. “It might be raining there, but at least we don’t need to worry about the chill.” 

“Hmm. You have a point.” Kayano finishes tying her own piece of jerky. “It can get super cold here in the winter. Last time we spent the season in the mainland, we were down in the caves, preparing for the ruins, so I didn’t really get to see the snow. I kind of want to though? See the snow, I mean. And fight this deerclops thing Karma and Gakushuu talk about. It sounds really cool.”

It doesn’t sound cool at all to Nagisa, but to each their own. 

“You know, there is a positive to staying here for the winter,” Gakushuu notes. Nagisa looks at him curiously. He has a really positive smile on his face, and it’s not like Gakushuu doesn’t smile often, but there’s something about this one that sets Nagisa’s nerves on end. 

Then a pile of snow is dumped over him, and he can hear Karma’s cackling from behind him. Somewhat miffed that he didn’t even hear his friend approach, Nagisa scoops up the biggest ball of snow he can make in his hands and chucks it at Karma, who is too busy laughing to dodge. It hits him right in the face, muffling the laughter. 

“Oh, it is super on!” Kayano jumps behind a chest, and Nagisa can hear her forming snowballs. He picks his spot behind the Shanty, making his own arsenal. He picks up a newly made snowball and peers around the corner right in time to get a faceful from Manami. 

This quickly devolves into a five way snowball fight, everyone for themselves. Nagisa makes and chucks snowballs at everyone as fast as he can, using his lack of presence to sneak up on them when they least expect it. Chester runs around the base chasing the snowballs and barking happily, already white fur so thick with the wet stuff his more colorful features are nowhere to be seen. 

In the end, everyone is covered in snow and laughing happily. Gakushuu makes everyone some hot cocoa, and they sit around the fire to warm up, before they all head inside their now fully decorated Shanty and cover themselves in as many furs as they have. 

It’s funny. Nagisa’s not sure he remembers the last time he was this happy, with all the life and death situations they’re in daily. It’s nice to just have fun again.

“Aw, Chester, no! Don’t shake out the snow all over the rug! No, let Kayano dry you off! Chester!” 

Maybe spending winter in the mainland won’t be so bad.

* * *

She’s walking through the snow filled savannah when Kayano stumbles across a large golden ring thing, surrounded by evil flowers. It definitely wasn’t there before, and it’s just as strange as the Potato thing. She decides that, before she heads back to camp, she’ll take it to the other Things. 

Just how many of these things are there?

* * *

“It seems the Constant is on a holiday kick.” Gakushuu bounces a wrapped gift between his hands. “Guess we’re having its version of Christmas now.” 

“I think that’s pretty cool!” Kayano and Manami string up colored lights and ornaments across their massive holiday tree. “We could all use some nice holiday cheer right about now. Do you think we could even have some fruitcake?”

Gakushuu winces. “Not… exactly.” 

“The trees and gifts aren’t the only festive thing around here.” Nagisa and Karma return to base, arms full of gingerbread and candy. “There are gingerbread pigs, gingerbread vargs, and even gingerbread houses. So much gingerbread! At least it won’t go stale for a long time.”

“Pretty sure the Halloween Candy is still good,” Manami agrees. “We should set up a lot more trees and lights! We can have a fun holiday night, like we did before.” 

There’s a bit of a complication before that can happen, of course.

The only warning they get is the sound of deer, then something stomping up from behind them. Everyone grabs their weapons, and in front of them is a red and blue deer, as well as a moderately large furry monster with candy cane horns and claws the size of dinner plates and chains all around it.

“This is Klaus,” Gakushuu informs everyone. “Of course the Constant wouldn’t have any real santa-like figure when it could go the other direction.”

Kayano raises her cutlass. “Good, I was getting kind of bored.” They rush in, weaving in and around while Manami hangs back and fires at both Klaus and his deer from a distance. 

It’s a tough battle. Klaus’ deer shoot fire and ice at them, and it’s hard to tell who they’ll be targeting. Klaus himself is no slouch, and it’s hard to get good hits in around his claws. Gakushuu has his stomach sliced in half, and Nagisa is burned alive at different points in the fight. After Kayano is severely burned, Manami’s next shot takes down the red deer. 

Klaus roars, enraged, and grows twice his size, nearly as large as deerclops himself, and the fight gets even trickier. All of them, save for Manami, die several more times, and Klaus even gets another form of attack, gaining a gaping mouth and trying to chomp down on them, before Gakushuu manages to slice the monster’s throat, and he finally goes down for good. 

In his place is a stag antler and a locked up white bag. Gakushuu unlocks it, and inside…

“Presents, huh?” Kayano smiles, looking somewhat exhausted as she picks up one of the wrapped gifts. “Guess this really is Christmas themed. And hey, there’s one for each of us!” She unwraps one of the gifts. “A new set of thulecite armor! Awesome!” Her last one had been lost in an unplanned trip down to the ruins, so it made sense that she would be excited.

“A pan flute?” Manami looked her gift over. “Oh, it can put any mob to sleep! That’s really useful.” 

Karma looks pleasantly surprised. “A packet of healing items? You know what, I’ll take it. We are a bit low on them.” 

“These are some recipes exclusive to the islands.” Nagisa holds some foods that Gakushuu hasn’t made in well over a year. “I missed these.”

Gakushuu opens his own present. Inside is an amulet with a red gem inside. There’s no explanation as to what it does from the Constant, but it doesn’t feel like anything he’s seen before. He decides to keep it, just in case.

* * *

Their actual winter feast goes off without a hitch. 

Karma and Manami build fancy tables, while Kayano and Nagisa finish hanging up all the tree ornaments on the one tree they’ve brought inside the Shanty, and Gakushuu sets out tasty dish after tasty dish. The five of them sit around the table, basking in the warmth of the food and the home they finally have, telling stories about the time before they all came to the Constant. Gakushuu still doesn’t know many of the things they did with Korosensei, so everyone else has fun describing it all to him. 

When they’re totally full, they all curl up on the sofas by the fireplace and watch the snow fall quickly outside. Kayano and Manami share a couch, Nagisa curls up in a plush chair, and Karma and Gakushuu fall asleep together on the second sofa. 

The Constant may be a harsh place, Karma muses, but it’s brought them all together, and he’s so happy to share this life with them.

* * *

Gakushuu wakes up in the middle of the night, curled up against Karma, snow still falling heavily outside and the fire low in the fireplace. Careful not to wake his friend, he gets up and adds more fuel, sitting down on the rug in front of it and staring into the flames. Chester pads onto his lap and settles down, and Gakushuu strokes him absentmindedly. 

He should be sleeping, he knows, but it won’t come to him. Not when his head is so full of uneasy thoughts.

After a few more minutes, he hears shifting, and then Karma sits down next to him, their knees touching. “You alright?”

“Yeah. Sorry for waking you. Just thinking.”

“Me too,” Karma says. “Remember our first winter together, when you couldn’t sleep in your own tent from those nightmares, so we ended up sleeping together for the first time? I haven’t thought about it in a while, but I’m glad you came over. I know we still weren’t totally on the best of terms then.” 

It’s crossed Gakushuu’s mind recently as well. Eventually the exact day of that death during his first winter had faded away, but sometimes the memories still come back to him. “That feels like such a long time ago now. I was so desperate for any human company I couldn’t care less what our relationship used to be like, but I’m still glad it was you.” 

“Agreed. It’s hard to imagine it any other way.” Karma yawns. “Are you sure there’s nothing you need to get off your chest?”

Gakushuu kneads Chester’s fur, a frown on his face. “It’s silly.”

“So what? I’ll listen anyways.”

Gakushuu looks at him. Karma stares back hard, as if trying to convince Gakushuu of his words with looks alone.

Finally, Gakushuu relents. “I was just thinking about what I have to get back to. If we make it out of the Constant, I mean.”

“ _When_ we make it out,” Karma insists stubbornly. “But yeah, that’s always good to hold onto. Keeps you going when things get tough.”

“That’s just it.” Gakushuu refuses to look at him. “There’s not really anything for me to go back to. To say my father and I never got along is a gross understatement. I was never that close with most of my class, and even the Virtuosos would move on easily.” At least here, he has people he knows he can trust, no matter what. 

There’s a long silence. “I think you’re underestimating yourself,” Karma says eventually. “I don’t know about your dad. My parents wouldn’t give a shit either, after all. But I think your classmates would miss you more than you think. And no matter what, you’ll always have the four of us. And especially me.”

Karma turns to face him again and offers a smile, and for some strange reason, Gakushuu’s heart skips a beat. It’s as though whatever he had to say a moment ago has completely left him. Why-?

_Oh_. So that’s what Kayano meant. 

_Fuck_.

He manages to smile back. “I appreciate it. I’ll… think about that.”

“Good.” Karma leans up against him and Gakushuu wills himself not to blush. Thankfully the hot embarrassment fades away, and he can enjoy watching the fire with his dog and his - friend.

* * *

Manami is heading back from the more rocky part of the Constant, having gone to gather more silk from the spiders, when she notices a group of strange rocks with white cracks in them. Curious, she takes out her pickaxe and starts mining. What comes from these strange boulders isn’t rock like usual, but something more silver and shiny. Perhaps Gakushuu will know what it is, because she has no clue. There are a few of them around, and she decides to mine all of them. 

Nagisa, who was also gathering silk with her, trudges through the snow over to her, a strange box contraption in his hand. “I found another thing - a box thing. What’s all this?”

“Not sure yet,” Manami admits. “But it looks new and important.” She mines the final boulder, and instead of dropping more silvery rock, a floating, glowing orb bursts free and hovers in the air. 

Nagisa and Manami look at each other. “Take this thing back to camp?” He suggests.

“Sounds like a good idea.” 

“Those are moon rocks, and this thing is a celestial orb.” Gakushuu looks at it all oddly. “I think this thing is all about giving new knowledge? It’s a bit hard to tell. Manami, can you sense it?”

Now that he mentions it, “Yeah, I think I can. But only when I’m really close.” She frowns. “It’s weird, though. Feels like I’m not supposed to know more about this.”

“Should we leave it alone then?” Kayano offers. “I think it’s giving all of us weird vibes.” 

“But maybe we can find a way to get home from this.” Manami protests. “I think we should check it out.” She puts her hand on the orb, and ideas flash through her mind. Okay, so there’s something called a moon lens, of all different colors, depending on the gem inserted into it. And there’s also something called a moon rock idol.”

Karma raises an eyebrow. “Who’s that idol for, I wonder? What’s being idolized?”

“I don’t know.” Manami takes her hand off the orb. “This is all really weird. Are you sure none of it was here before?”

“Positive.” Gakushuu shakes his head. “I think we might as well build these things, just in case. If they’re showing up now, they might come in handy later.” 

It’s getting slightly warmer, and with the snow melting around them, Manami finds everything getting that much easier. Not only had she missed winter the year before in the Hamlet, but they hadn’t exactly lived in a place with as much snowfall before arriving here. As fun and interesting as it was, Manami’s pretty glad it’s over. 

The strange mess with the moon, however, clearly isn’t. One day Kayano rushes to camp demanding they see something, so they follow her a little ways away, deeper into the forest, and come across an odd sight: odd petrified forest creatures and three hounds made of moonstone surrounding an odd stone that looked a bit like the wooden thing.

Gakushuu eyes it warily. “It’s just called the Moon Stone. And those petrified creatures around it…”

“It’s weird,” Karma agrees. “This whole thing is weird.”

“Weirder than the rest of the Constant?” Despite Nagisa’s words, he seems on edge as well. All of them do. Manami feels that way as well, but it seems to a far lesser degree than everyone who’s been here longer.

“Maybe the Constant doesn’t like this?” She theorizes. “And we’ve been in the Constant long enough that we’re getting that feeling as well.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Kayano agrees. “All the more reason to see what this thing can do, right? The Moon Stone looks pretty broken, maybe we should fix it up?”

They do so. Considering how moonrock seems to be the only similar thing around, they decide to try and fix it with that first. Thankfully, it seems they’ve gotten it, right, and soon enough the Moon Stone is in much better shape than before. 

“It’s definitely powerful,” Nagisa says, as they study the odd structure, “but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything.” 

“Maybe we need to wait for something?” Kayano offers. “Like the full moon?” 

“And it looks like something could be inserted in the middle.” Gakushuu walks over and inspects the hole in the moonstone. “The Star Caller’s Staff, I think. I don’t know what’ll happen to the staff once we put it in though, so I’d rather make a new one to try this out with.”

“While you do that,” I think I’ll finish on that living artifact from the Hamlet.” Manami’s had to put it to the wayside for a little while now, but she’s sure she’s almost cracked the code on how to use it. “Next full moon is in a couple days, right? We can try it out then.”

* * *

On the night of the full moon, they find themselves back at the Moon Stone. Manami sets the living artifact on the ground with a smile. 

“I’ve finally figured this thing out,” she says, and steps on top of it. The artifact expands, wrapping around her and encasing her in a glowing purple suit. She gives them a wave. “Check this out!”

“Holy shit!” Karma grins. 

Kayano beams at her friend. “That’s so cool! What does it do?”

“One way to find out.” She gestures at Gakushuu, who smiles and puts the star staff in the Moon Stone. 

Instantly, the staff pulses with light, a beam of white reaching up towards the heavens. Multiple roars sound from inside the forest, and then hounds and werepigs are on them. Kayano swings at a werepig who comes too close.

“MUST DESTROY. MUST DESTROY!” 

“They’re trying to break the Moon Stone!” She calls to the others. If the Stone breaks before whatever’s happening can finish, then all this might’ve been for nothing.

“We’ll need to hold them off then!” Inside her new armor, Manami punches a hound in the face, and it nearly dies on the spot. Clearly having an easy time, she tosses the Blunderbuss to Kayano, who immediately reloads and starts shooting. The Moon Stone pulses with white light behind them.

After about ten minutes of this, another burst of white light spreads out from the Moon Stone, and all the hounds and werepigs around them are petrified, turning into moonrock. Kayano listens for more, but can’t hear anything coming.

Manami steps out of her artifact. “That was amazing!” 

“I’m surprised none of us died, or were even seriously injured,” Nagisa admits. 

Gakushuu walks over to the Stone, shivers, and pulls out his staff, now white instead of yellow. “The Moon Caller’s Staff. Looks like where the star staff emitted a super hot light called a dwarf star, this thing will emit a super cold light called a polar light. Useful for summer.”

“How did that even happen?” Karma wonders. “I mean, what caused it to change in the first place? And why did those creatures want to destroy it?”

Kayano suspects that Manami’s right: there’s something about the moon that the Constant doesn’t like. But what could it be? And could they use it to get home?

* * *

Spring finally arrives, and with it, another new and interesting thing. 

While for the most part, waves on most sides of the Constant are far too choppy to cross, on one specific coast, the waters are calm. Seizing the opportunity, the group gets their old boats from the islands sail worthy again, and the five of them head out to see what this could be about.

Why did you bring those?” Nagisa asks Gakushuu, who has a collection of Nightmare amulets tucked away in his boat.

His friend shrugs. “Just figured they’d come in handy. Instinct, basically.” Nagisa wonders where they’re going that might require the use of amulets that apparently drain one’s sanity in seconds.

Eventually, new land comes into view. Kayano stands in her boat and cheers, and even though it’s still the main Constant, it reminds Nagisa a little of the islands, and that seems to warm his heart. 

But the nearer they draw to the island, the stranger it is. Nagisa can make out odd trees and even stranger ground. They bump against the shore, and he jumps out of his boat to see what this new place is about.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, everything goes off. There are off creatures zooming around, and everything, including Nagisa, is bathed in a white glow, and his head is too fuzzy to do anything about it. 

Where is he? Why is he here? What-?

Something slips over his head, and Nagisa can think and see again. He shakes his head, trying to clear it, and sees the nightmare amulet on his neck. “What was that?”

“No idea.” Gakushuu’s also wearing a nightmare amulet. So are the others. “I think it’s called enlightenment. But it seems like the saner you are on the mainland, the worse you are here.”

“Guess we know what the amulets are for now.” Karma looks over the new land. “Who’s up for exploring?”

* * *

The lunar island is weird, no doubt about it. Karma might even go as far as to say it’s weirder than the regular Constant. There are new lune trees that look like wide blossom trees and are surrounded by moon moths, what look like carrots are actually carrats, and edible stone fruits. The group finds themselves mining moon glass and shooing away saladmanders to check out the hot springs.

“Do you think the entire Constant’s moon is like this place?” Manami wonders, as they dip their toes in one of the springs. Kayano is petting the saladmander that has curled up in her lap, and Chester chases a moon moth behind them. 

There’s also a new type of spider, called a shattered spider. Honestly, Karma’s not sure he cares that much about what it’s called, because not only are they even more terrifying than regular spiders, but they also make jagged spikes come out of the ground. They accidentally provoke a nest, and Karma dies to a spider attack for the first time in almost a year.

Gakushuu helps him up after he revives. His friend is bleeding in several places, but he seems a lot more worried about Karma’s well being. “Are you alright? They swarmed you for a while there.”

Karma chuckles. “Yeah, all good. Hey, maybe I should get a prize! First one to die in this new place.” Gakushuu’s eyes sparkle, and it makes Karma feel really good.

“Get a room you two!” They both turn to glare at Kayano when she passes. 

It’s not like Karma doesn’t get it or anything. Gakushuu’s his best friend. They barely do anything without the other these days. 

And okay, so maybe he’s felt that it could be a bit more for a while. Just a bit. But that doesn’t mean Gakushuu feels the same, and it doesn’t mean that it would work out. Karma’s more than happy with their friendship as it is, and he can’t bear to ruin it. So he’s okay keeping those feelings to himself. 

It’s fine, it really is.

* * *

As they’re walking along near what should be the center of the island, they come across three strange formations. Not to say the rest of the island doesn’t contain strange formations, but there’s something about these that pull at Manami. Like something inside is calling her, egging her on with ideas of knowledge and magic.

“It’s like there’s something inside that wants to get out,” she says aloud. “It’s really strong.”

“I can feel it too,” Gakushuu agrees, looking over the formations as though he’ll be able to see what’s inside just by doing so.

“It’s not just you two magic users,” Nagisa tells them. “I think we’re all feeling it. We should probably mine these. If it’s some sort of boss, I think we’re all more than prepared anyways.” 

Manami grabs her pickaxe and starts mining one of the formations. Out of it comes a strange orb, seemingly dormant, but there’s something about it. The pull is still there. Images of putting this with the others and forming some sort of altar enter her mind. 

“Looks like we’ll be putting these all together.” Karma examines another one of the mined pieces. “I wonder what this altar will end up doing?”

The answer, once they’ve put it all together and set the altar up, the answer is that it can make more things for them. With all the glass shards they’ve created, Gakushuu whips up new axes, as well as a jagged glass sword that seems to be as powerful as everyone’s cutlass. 

Gakushuu hands it to Karma. “It’s called a glass cutter. Want to try it out?” Karma beams.

“Absolutely.” He gives it a few experimental swings, then replaces the cutlass with it in his holder. “I think I’ll be using this instead from now on. I like it a lot.” 

None of them want to go back to the mainland when it’s dark, and with a well placed bath bomb, the hot springs light up, so the five of them, Chester, and a saladmander, relax around one of the springs, socks and shoes off and lets dipped up to their knees in one of the springs. 

“Is it just me, or does the Constant get weirder and weirder every, like, five minutes?” Kayano wonders, sipping on some iced tea. “I just feel like every time we think we know what’s going on, something new happens to trip us up.”

“Maybe it’s Maxwell, and he’s screwing with us?” Karma offers. “Seems like something he’d do.” 

Manami taps her chin. “Do you think he was the one who brought all of us here in the first place? But that just brings up more questions. Why us five, why only five of us, and why one every year?”

“He wouldn’t give any sort of answer when I asked him.” Gakushuu winces. “He must know, but he’s not telling.” 

“This is so frustrating!” Kayano groans and lays down against the ground. “I just want to figure out a way home.” She looks up at the night sky. “I mean, the Constant’s sort of become a home for us, you know? And it can be a lot of fun. But at the same time, it’s obvious that none of us are getting any older. I don’t even feel any older mentally. So, are we just going to stay teenagers, surviving and dying for all eternity? I don’t really like that thought.”

Nagisa looks troubled. “None of us do. I think our best bet would be the wooden thing and the other things we’ve found, but everything has just seemed like a dead end so far.”

“We can’t give up yet though!” Manami almost can’t believe that she of all people has to inspire her friends, but she will if she has to. “Like Kayano said, the other option is being stuck here forever. How can we not keep searching for a way out? There has to be something, and I know we’ll find it.”

Karma squeezes her shoulder. “You’re right. We’ll assemble all the things once we have all the pieces, and we’ll work from there. Not to mention this whole lunar thing might be a good lead as well.”

The others look invigorated, but Gakushuu says nothing. Manami wonders what he’s thinking.

* * *

They occasionally visit the lunar island during the spring, but summer comes and the five of them head to the oasis camp. It’s back to outside tents, but Gakushuu really doesn’t mind. He’d much prefer being here then setting the Shanty on fire, after all. 

And of course, with the new moon staff, none of them need to worry about overheating. They set up a polar light near the edge of the base, and everything is quickly cooled off. A lot nicer than ice-flingos or constant umbrella usage, after all. And it’s a peaceful summer as well, filled with good natured fun, constant cookouts, and zero deaths the entire season, an all time record. 

It’s as they’re heading back to their normal base when autumn starts that Gakushuu finds the crank thing, the final piece to the puzzle. He immediately goes to show the others. 

Everyone shares matching grins. Gakushuu clears his throat. “Shall we get out equipment and put everything together?” 

Kayano punches the air. “Let’s do this!” 

They put all the things together, and the machine lights up. The Potato thing lifts out of the others, turning around… to reveal a creepily grinning face of Maxwell. Right behind it, a door springs up from the ground.

_Maxwell’s Door_. A chill runs through Gakushuu, and he tells them all what the Constant calls it. “I think, if we go through this, we’ll eventually find Maxwell.”

Karma grins. “If we find him at his source, maybe we can destroy his power, or force him to bring us home.”

Nagisa nods. “It’s worth a shot.” They’re all armed to the teeth with everything they might need for any major battle. Whatever is behind that door stands between them and getting home, and they’re all ready to hit whatever it is with everything they’ve got.

“I’m ready,” Manami says confidently.

Kayano readies her cutlass. “Let’s kick some Shadow King ass.” 

Gakushuu smiles at his friends. Then he opens the door. 

_Something is wrong here._

A black and red vortex opens up. Before any of them can go through, Gakushuu feels shadowy hands spring up from the ground, pulling him down, down, into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Survivors in the Game: Gakushuu, Karma, Kayano, Nagisa, Manami_
> 
> _Worlds until Maxwell: 5_
> 
> And so the Adventure Mode begins. What will happen to our heroes now? Will they finally find their way out after so long?
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed, and please review, let me know what you liked!


	7. Archipelore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The survivors are dumped on a strange new land, and the countdown until confrontation begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter is up! Like I said, not as long, but the next update should come much sooner. I hope you all enjoy!

Manami comes to on hard stone, groaning and sitting up. The last thing she remembers is those shadowy hands grabbing her, and then a temporary darkness. Where did they end up this time? She looks around. Their backpacks are with them, but they seem suspiciously lighter. The divining rod is there as well.

She hears her friends shuffle and sit up around her. Taking in this new place they’ve found themselves in. Unlike the Hamlet or the Islands, it looks exactly like the main Constant, at least from what Manami can see. 

There’s a swirl of dark energy on the ground in front of them, and out of it pops up an older man with cold eyes, sharp edges, and a long fur-lined coat. There’s something eerily inhuman about him, but Manami can’t place it based on looks alone. 

“Oh, you’ve found my portal, did you?” Hey says, voice deep and chilling. “You’d think you children would’ve learned your lesson by now. Hmm. Let’s try something a little more challenging, shall we?” With that, he disappears into the shadows again.

“Was - was that Maxwell, just now?” Nagisa asks. 

Gakushuu is frowning at the spot where the man just was. “Yeah, that was him. As unnerving as his words are, I think this means we’re on the right track.”

Manami takes the divining rod from where it’s being held. “Well that’s a good thing, isn’t it? We’ll survive whatever he throws at us, and then we’ll all make it out of here.”

“That’s the spirit!” Kayano picks up her bag of equipment, then frowns, shakes it, and looks inside. “Hey, he took a lot of our stuff! Asshole. We might not have to start from the beginning but this puts us back a lot.” 

“Figures.” Karma stretches and looks around. “At least we’ve all got our Queen Bee ribbons, so nightmares shouldn’t be a problem. For now, we should just figure out where we are. It looks like the mainland, but we can’t be sure yet.” 

“And we should gather more supplies, especially the basics,” Gakushuu decides. “We don’t know what we’ll need, so we should stock up." 

Kayano pouts. “It’s too bad Chester didn’t come with us.” Manami looks around and realizes she’s right. Their favorite chest-dog is nowhere to be seen. Manami can’t help but feel a pain in her chest. She’s spent the last two years with Chester as a pet, after all. It’s weird that he’s not around. She hopes he’s okay. 

They take stock of what they do have. Their ribbons, some food, a couple of those nightmare amulets, walking sticks, and their favored weapon. No armor, no tent materials, no lazy explorers, none of the usual items that make their lives so much easier. They aren’t starting from scratch, but they’re pretty close.

They’ve found themselves in what seems to be a pretty peaceful forest, good for a possible base. Gakushuu immediately goes about setting up rabbit traps and a campfire for when they come back after exploring, and the five of them head out to get their bearings.

“It’s weirdly peaceful here,” Nagisa comments from next to her. “I mean, we get a lot of somewhat peaceful days back at the base, but usually when we just start out somewhere things are more chaotic.”

“I guess you’re right.” Not that Manami minds the peace in the slightest. She’d rather things were nicer. Still though, considering Maxwell’s words, she wondered if they were being lulled into a false sense of security. 

“I think you two spoke too soon.” Kayano motioned ahead of them. The forest faded into the dreaded swamps, where spiders were doing battle with spiked tentacles. 

“We’ll wait until one of them is victorious, then go get the spider silk,” Gakushuu decides. “No point in interrupting them beforehand." 

After years of being in the Constant, they’re skilled enough that there’s no cases of death by tentacles, and they’re able to get silk from the spider’s nest. Not enough for a tent, but it’s a start.

* * *

They decide to walk by the cliffside, seeing just how far they can go. As it turns out, the place they found themselves in is rather small, with only the forest and the marsh. There is a single wormhole, so there should be more land somewhere, but like with the islands, they should get as much out of this place as they can before moving on. 

As has become the usual, Nagisa and Kayano go out to explore, their abilities protecting them from the worst this world has to offer, while Gakushuu, Karma, and Manami set up camp. They can’t make any walls at the moment, since they have no boulders to mine for rocks, but they can at least get their trees, berry farm, and traps set up. 

“It’s really weird, having nothing like this,” Manami admits. “I mean, when you guys came to the Hamlet, you had a bunch of stuff with you, so I never got the full survival experience.”

“That’s a good thing,” Gakushuu assures her. “Sorry you’re going through it now.” Karma agrees with that. Starting from scratch sucks each time they have to do it. He already misses their obsidian tools and lazy explorers. And starting over means Manami possibly dying way more than she has already, which Karma really wants to avoid. 

“Still, it could be worse,” he decides. “I mean, Shuu had to do all of this alone when he first got here. At least the five of us have each other.”

Gakushuu smiles at him, and Karma hates how his heart skips a beat. _It’s just a stupid crush, it’s fine_. “You’re right. We’re already in a lot better place than when I started, and the biggest reason for that is because we’re all together.” 

_Fuck_. Not for the first time, Karma curses his inability to control his own damn feelings. If the others realized, not only would he be endlessly teased by Kayano, but things might get awkward between him and Gakushuu, and that’s the last thing he wants to happen. 

“We’re back!” Karma turns to see Nagisa and Kayano returning, hands filled with silk and spider glands, both of them looking like an utter mess. “And we brought the good stuff too! Probably enough for one giant tent.”

Nagisa looks extremely put off. “She provoked four separate spider nests. Four! And they all had queen spiders! We almost died a lot of times!” 

“Totally worth it,” Kayano says, grinning. “I mean, what’s a few annoying spider deaths compared to possible death by night monster?” Nagisa clearly has to consider that. 

Karma would be more pissed at her actions, but he’s so used to Kayano’s antics by now he just can’t seem to be too bothered. And she’s right - they do have enough to set up a tent big enough for all of them, even if they don’t have any furs yet to fill it with. Hopefully there will be beefalo somewhere else in this place. 

They set up the tent, and even if it’s still pretty chilly with nothing but their clothes to cover them, the five of them huddled together does make up for it. Nestled in between Gakushuu and Manami, Karma’s able to fall asleep easily.

* * *

They manage to find the crank thing the next day, while traversing the dangerous marsh filled to the brim with spiders. 

Nagisa looks at it. It seems like the exact same crank thing they found on the mainland. “Do you think this would take us back to the mainland?”

Gakushuu shakes his head. “Actually, if I had to guess, I’d say it takes us closer to Maxwell. It’s like a challenge. Each time we survive a new area, we get closer and closer to our goal. Maybe that’s what he meant by a new challenge.”

“It could also be a challenge for him,” Kayano muses. “He probably doesn’t want us to reach him, but maybe he’s bored and willing to see how far we can make it.”

“If he didn’t want us to make it, then she should’ve realized we can’t permanently die, which means we can keep on going forever.” Karma leans back against Gakushuu. “Maxwell won’t know what’s hit him.”

Nagisa hopes so. Surely Maxwell realized that they would keep going and be undeterred by death? He must have some other trick up his sleeve, and Nagisa’s worried they’ll be unprepared when he shows his cards. 

Still, with everything on their island set up, the group decides to take the wormhole, and hopefully find themselves with more materials so they can really get their base here going. They head down to the marshes again, and look over the wormhole that opened up with their presence.

Nagisa sighs. “These things always give me the shivers.”

“Maybe, but at least they’re efficient.” Gakushuu looks up at all of them. “You guys ready?” At everyone’s agreement, he jumps in, and the rest of them follow. 

Nagisa is spit out of the wormhole, and finds himself in a grassland, surrounded by beefalo. Next to him, Kayano lights up at the sight. 

“Oh, goodie! Perfect, at least there’s beefalo here!” Kayano goes right over to pet one. At least we have this.”

“And a steady food source,” Gakushuu notes, eyeing the many rabbit holes scattered around. 

“And possible bed rolls,” Nagisa adds. “We’re on a roll here. What about the divining rod? Any things nearby?”

“Let’s see.” Manami pulls out the rod. After a moment, it starts going haywire. “Looks like there is!” 

With that happy note, they follow the rod as it beeps louder and faster in some places, and not so much in others, until they come across another chess piece with the wooden thing, as well as some clockworks roaming around.

“We could take care of them now,” Kayano suggests. “Save us the trouble later and all that.” No one can see a problem with that, so they quickly engage. Manami takes down the bishops with her blunderbuss, while the rest of them go after the scattered knights, dodging and ducking and slicing until all that is left is a pile of gears. 

“Think we could start getting some machines up and running?” Manami wonders, storing away their gears. “We could really use some of those items right about now.”

“We still need to find rocks and gold,” Gakushuu points out. “Hopefully that’ll be on the next island.” Still, they spend the rest of the day going back and forth between the two islands setting everything up, and putting the crank thing with the wooden thing.

It’s the second day, and they’ve already found two out of the five items needed. They’re doing much better than Nagisa could’ve hoped for.

* * *

They get to the third island of this Archipelago on the sixth day, because even though they were doing well, they still needed to set up more of a secure base, just in case. It was nice to go back to the repetitiveness of setting up a farm. It certainly helped Kayano take her mind off things for a while. 

But now they’re on the third island, and they finally, after almost a week of going without, have rocks and gold. And so they mine as much as they can, grab their newfound potato thing, and head back to base. 

It’s interesting; usually Kayano feels excited to explore all these new places and fight possibly new monsters as well as old ones. But this whole place just has a foreboding feel around it. Still, Gakushuu did say he felt as though they were getting closer to Maxwell, and considering that Maxwell was called the Shadow King and seemingly was in control of and knew about everything in the Constant, it makes sense that she’s feeling nervous.

God, she can’t wait to beat that bastard up once and for all. The real final boss of this place was so close, and she’s itching to go.

The pounding of feet and ear-splitting howls made her look up from where she was helping lay down some stone. “Hound attack! We’ve got reds and blues!” Nagisa calls out. Kayano draws her cutlass. 

She jumps over the edge of the stone wall to meet the six hounds that had come. One heads right for her, and she jumps to the slide before slicing. While the monster is down, she brings her sword down on its head and ends it quickly.

Kayano yells and jumps back as she feels something burning her skin. She turns to see a red hound charging her, flames flickering all over its body. Before it can reach her though, there is a loud bang, and it is flung off course by Manami’s blunderbuss. Kayano finishes it off as it struggles to get up. 

She looks around to see the others killing the rest of the hound pack without much difficulty. It brings a smile to her face - they really had come far since they arrived, hadn’t they? Even without all their usual equipment, not a single one of them had died even once so far. The thought makes her feel almost giddy. 

“We did it!” Manami holds up her hand for a high five, and Kayano happily returns it. 

Something catches her attention, and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Gakushuu and Karma laughing together, which is of course normal, but then Karma looks away for a moment, and that look Gakushuu gives him….

Oh, _finally_. At least one of them has figured out they’re smitten for the other. 

“Is something wrong?” Manami asks.

“Not at all. The opposite, actually.” Kayano can’t keep the cheer out of her voice. “This has been a long time coming.”

* * *

It’s been a long time, years even, since Gakushuu made the rookie mistake of staying out too long and therefore needing to set up a campfire at his location, but fishing is such a relaxing activity he totally lost track of time.

It isn’t all bad, of course, because at least Karma’s with him, and neither of them had noticed the time, so neither could pin it on the other, even jokingly. Since there’s not much else to do in the swamp, and they don’t want to take the chance of falling asleep and letting the fire die, they’re still fishing late into the night. 

Karma hums a soft tune and leans lightly on Gakushuu’s shoulder. “We kinda screwed this one up, didn’t we?”

“Yeah,” Gakushuu agrees. He’s really just thankful that they’re so used to close contact by now, so his new discovered feelings (ugh) don’t make things awkward. He had worried that they would, but whenever he’s around Karma he just finds himself sliding into their normal routine, and everything’s fine. “Nagisa’s gonna be pretty pissed when we get back.”

“And Manami will have been really worried.” A smile dances across Karma’s face. “And Kayano will be upset that we didn’t bring her along.” 

“Mm.” Gakushuu finds his thoughts drifting towards their group as a whole. When he thinks about it, it isn’t just that he’s the only one not from E Class, but he’s also the only one who wasn’t a part of their friend group before they came here. He knows they’re close now, closer than he’s been to anyone before. But would that really stay when they went back, and didn’t have to be around him?

It’s an irrational thought, and he tries to push it aside. But the Constant itself is irrational, and Gakushuu’s not sure what holds true anymore. 

Karma’s free hand slips into his, and it’s grounding. Gakushuu takes a breath and gives Karma a shaky smile, and the thoughts retreat, for now.

* * *

They find the box thing on the next island, a sweet mix of rocky and forest areas with no apparent mobs to be seen, although they all know hounds can show up just about anywhere. Fortunately, Manami’s been tinkering, and they’re slowly getting more and more prepared for just about anything to show up. 

Not to mention with four out of five things found, they’re really on a roll. 

Still, the chill is starting to set in. With all the beefalo around, making warmer clothes isn’t much of a problem, but already it’s a lot less nice than winter in the mainland, where they could always go inside when they got too cold and getting enough food and firewood was never a problem. They could even celebrate the holidays!

Now, everything is in preparation for the cold. Even hunting for things has been put on hold, just in case. Manami’s starting to understand why Gakushuu seems so worried about everything most of the time. 

Not to mention the annoying hound attacks are getting more frequent. 

“Was this what it was like when you guys were on the islands?” She asks Nagisa. Manami recognizes that she herself was pretty lucky when it came to this stuff, considering how much they had to start with in Hamlet.

Nagisa shakes his head. “Not quite. We didn’t need to worry about the cold, just constant rain and lightning. And rough seas, I guess. But not the cold.”

“What do you think Korosensei would think about all of this?” Funnily enough, she hasn’t actually thought about their teacher in a while. There’s just been so much to do here, the strangeness of their classroom pretty much pales in comparison.

Nagisa snickers at the thought. “He’d be living like a king, probably. Super speed and intelligence, remember?”

“Yeah.” Nagisa’s right. Still, Manami’s pretty proud of them. They did all this without their teacher’s help, after all. Korosensei may have found the way out already if it was him, but it wasn’t and they were doing just fine.

* * *

They’ve made new thermal stones, which is both amazing and way overdue, and so trekking around in the rapidly cooling air isn’t as bad as it could’ve been, especially since Karma and Nagisa are exploring the next island. It’s a swampland like the first one, although there thankfully doesn’t seem to be near as many spider nests. 

Still, there doesn’t seem to be much here. They brought the divining rod along with them, and it didn’t pick anything up.

“What’s the point of this island, if there’s nothing here, and we’ve already got some grasslands and swamps?” He wonders out loud.

Next to him, Nagisa shrugs. “To be confusing? This is Maxwell, and the Constant. Does anything have to make sense?” 

“Point taken.” Still, it’s a little annoying, since it feels like they wasted their time coming here. Still, if they really need extras of certain supplies, now they know where to go.

* * *

The final island is pretty barren, but it has the most important thing they would want there: the ring thing. With that, they’ve got all the things together and are ready to continue forward.

Still, they collectively agree that they should be overprepared. They couldn’t take much with them last time, but maybe that’ll be different now that they’re on their way. So the group strengthens the camp while they farm everything they can, set traps, gather more supplies, and make everything as bearable as possible. 

Then they assemble the things together, and both the Maxwell head and the door pop up. Manami looks up at the intimidating structure. There’s something different about this one, something she can’t quite put her finger on. 

They get closer, and the feeling starts to make more sense. If they try to go any further, it would be like all of them trying to squeeze through a door at the same time. 

Everyone else must be feeling it too. “Only four of us can continue on,” Karma summarizes. 

Kayano scowls. “Is this the bastard’s play? Whittling us down so we’re easier to take on?” 

“Or maybe it’s one of those cruel choices,” Nagisa offers grimly. “If only some of us can get past, only some of us can get home.” He shakes his head. “This is so unfair!”

Only four of them can get past, huh?

Manami looks at her friends, at the distress on their faces, and makes up her mind. She takes a step back. “I’ll stay behind. Don’t worry about it.”

They all look at her, surprise on their faces. “Are you sure about this?” Gakushuu asks, looking hesitant. 

“Yes. You’ve all been here a lot longer than I have. If it’s true that not all of us can get out at the same time, it should be the people who have been here longer. And that’s just a guess, we don’t know for sure. Maybe you guys can beat Maxwell and come back! I’ll be fine, we’ve got a really good base here, and we haven’t even died once in this place. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

The others look like they want to argue, but seem to realize she’s made up her mind. Kayano hugs her tightly. “Be careful, okay? Try not to die too many times!”

“I promise.” Everyone else joins the hug, and Manami is surrounded by her friends.

“We’ll come back for you,” Gakushuu vows. “That’s our promise.” 

Manami smiles at him. “I know you will.” 

With that, she steps back and watches as they go towards the door, and are sucked underground by the same dark hands that took them here.

They’ll make it. She knows they will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Survivors in the Game: Gakushuu, Karma, Kayano, Nagisa_
> 
> _Worlds until Maxwell: 4_
> 
> And so we're off on our adventure! What will happen to our heroes next? Thanks for reading, and please leave a review, let me know what you thought!


	8. A Game Afleet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A harsher second world awaits, and another choice must be made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you there would be faster updates for this arc! I hope you all enjoy!

When Nagisa comes to, the first thought that runs through his head is _thank god we kept our winter outfits and thermal stones because it’s freezing_!

He opens his eyes, and Maxwell is standing over them once more, and while he still looks composed, there’s annoyance in those dark eyes. “Well, look at that, you survived. One down, more to go.” He disappears again.

Nagisa gets up, then helps Gakushuu to his feet. “What do you think he meant by that?” He wonders. “Is he talking about those of us left, or worlds we need to pass through?”

“I don’t know.” Gakushuu looks nervous, and Nagisa can’t blame him. “I guess we’ll be finding out soon enough. Let’s try and get through this as quickly as we can.”

“Especially because it’s so freaking cold!” Kayano shivers, as if to prove her point. “We brought more than enough stone and fuel along, let’s set up a fire pit and get warmed up! Or at least warm our thermal stones.” 

Karma’s already grabbing some twigs. “Let’s make a campfire to warm the stones instead. We don’t know if this is a good place to base yet.”

“And we shouldn't waste resources, you’re right,” Gakushuu finishes, walking over to set the wood ablaze and putting his stone next to it. Nagisa and the others follow suit. 

They all sit by the campfire, warming up together. Already, it feels wrong to not have Manami with them. A part of Nagisa thinks he should’ve waited instead. Sure, he’s a great scout and someone needs to keep Kayano in check, but Manami is one of their biggest powerhouses, especially when it comes to magic. If there’s something Magic based up ahead, she won’t be there to help them. Not to mention after spending over two years with her, Nagisa doesn’t like being without her. 

Everyone else seems to be thinking the same thing. No one talks, just sits by the fire, occasionally fueling it. All too soon, the sun goes down (meaning they had probably come here in the afternoon), and they take turns staying awake for survival purposes.

In the morning, they’re ready to explore with their thermal stones, but the mood is still somber. “We shouldn’t have agreed to leave her there,” Karma says out loud, finally breaking the silence. “I know she can take care of herself, but what if we go home and she can’t? I don’t know about you guys, but I’d never forgive myself.”

“Then we’d come back for her before leaving,” Kayano’s voice is filled with determination. “She believes in us, so we can’t doubt ourselves now. We’ll find Maxwell, and find a way out, and come back and get her, and then we’ll all go home together.”

Nagisa wants so badly to believe it. But even if this isn’t the way out like they all hope it is… his friends are right. They can’t give up now, not with Manami waiting for them and believing in them. 

He notices that Gakushuu doesn’t say anything. He wonders if his friend believes there’s a way home at all. 

The nervousness and tension lightens greatly after that, and they get on with their exploring. There seems to be a large central island that they’ve landed on, which is connected to outer islands through thin strips of land covered in some dangerous creature or another. 

“And the rock biome is out there!” Kayano pouts. “Past the goddamn spider dens! Why does another one of these worlds have spider dens?” 

“Every world has spider dens,” Gakushuu points out dryly. “We could light it on fire and take care of the spiders now to save us the trouble later. Not to mention we’ll be warm for a little while afterwards.”

Karma grins. “Sounds like a plan to me. I’m guessing you want to do the honors, Kayano?”

“Oh, you bet.” She makes herself a temporary torch and runs in, setting the giant nests on fire, before dashing out as the angry spiders come after her.

It’s a lot harder to fight them all off without Manami covering them from a distance, Nagisa quickly realizes. He’s been so used to her blowing many of their enemies away before they could reach the group. Still, everyone is skilled enough to survive the waves of spiders and they make it through, albeit with more than a few gashes and bruises. 

Not to mention now they’ve got more than enough silk to make another tent. They had only made one in the last world, that all of them had shared, and Nagisa was glad they didn’t decide to bring it along, so Manami would still have a place to sleep. At the same time, that did mean they needed to rebuild again. 

Still, Nagisa wasn’t looking forward to clearing out the other bridges to the different islands.

“Since we’ve got the rocks available for us, we should focus on setting up camp before searching for the things,” Gakushuu suggests. It’s a plan they can all agree to.

* * *

Kayano trudges through the snow on a scouting mission, Nagisa by her side as usual. They pass by several chess landscapes leading to more islands, one of which contains the wooden thing, and although Nagisa walks closer to them so they don’t notice him, they definitely notice Kayano, and are coming over, ready for a fight. 

“Think we’ll need these gears for anything?” Nagisa wonders, as he ducks beneath a knight's outstretched attack and swings upwards with his cutlass. “I mean, we didn’t have much use for some of the machines back in the last world. Kayano can’t help but think of Manami at that, and how she’s doing, but she forces herself to focus. 

“Better safe than sorry!” She narrowly avoids a blast of lightning from a bishop and runs in for the kill, slicing off the top with her sword, and stuffing the gears into her backpack. She sees a burst of light out of the corner of her eye and narrowly avoids another blast from another bishop. While the clockwork is distracted by her, Nagisa rushes in and takes it out. 

“That’s all of them then.” He stuffs the gears away. “We should probably head back.”

Kayano’s about to agree, but then her mind drifts to Karma and Gakushuu right before they left, and she smiles. “Actually, maybe we should explore a bit more. We’re all good on heat, after all. We could use a bit more of the land around our base mapped out.” 

Nagisa looks at her, surprised, but then something seems to click in his head and his expression shifts to one of amusement. “You think they’re gonna get together?”

Kayano nods. “Probably not today, but it’s obvious they’re finally starting to think about it. They could use some alone time to make them realize how strong those feelings are. It’s about time, anyways.”

He laughs. “You’re really excited for this, aren’t you?”

“Do you know how long I’ve lived with them? Over four years! And how long have I known they liked each other when they didn’t realize it? The whole time!” She protests, laughing along with him. “This is so super overdue.”

“Alright, we’ll stay out for a while longer.” Nagisa’s eyes twinkle, and the two of them giggle together as they move along. 

Eventually, he turns to her. “You know, I don’t know if I ever said this, but I like this you a lot.”

Kayano blinks. “This me?”

“You know,” Nagisa seems to search for the right words, “when you’re not acting, just being yourself. I’ve noticed it since I got here, but you seem so much more comfortable and open with everyone. Which makes sense considering that you were hiding so much from our class before, but it’s really nice to see you like that. I thought you should know.”

Kayano feels warm all over, and she knows it’s not from the thermal stone. “Thank you. That - that means a lot to me. I didn’t know if you would all like the real me or not, and at the time I convinced myself that I didn’t care.” It’s been four years since she had her tentacles, and she feels almost completely removed from the experience of having them, like it was all some sort of dream. Still, she knows the mindset she had been in was beyond unhealthy. “I’m glad I chose you to be my friend though. Looks like I really picked right on that one.”

Now it’s Nagisa’s turn to look away bashfully. “Ah, thanks. I’m glad you chose me to be your friend too.”

* * *

They do manage to find the box thing in the rocklands, which means they already have two things down in about seven days, but they know they can’t let their guard down. The huge tent is made and quickly filled up with the bedrolls they each brought along. Karma finds himself sleeping closer to Gakushuu than usual, if only for the added comfort. 

This world feels even more uneasy than the last. Karma wishes he could do more to calm his nerves, because they seem to be in full force come nighttime. 

Still, they’re able to make their new wall, which should hold almost all of whatever comes their way. There’s some safety in that, at the very least.

Karma misses the comfort of the shanty. He realizes that he’s been spoiled by it lately, and he went for years without it, but he misses a house around his tent to keep everything at bay and to let him know he and his friends are safe. 

He misses Manami, a lot, they all do. It doesn’t feel right, not having one of them with the rest of the group for so long. 

Sensing his unease, Gakushuu grabs his hand and holds it tightly. “She’s going to be fine,” his friend says gently. “We know her. She’s strong, she can take good care of herself.”

“I know.” Karma sighs. “How could I not know that? That doesn’t mean I’m not worrying.”

“I figured. If it helps, I can feel everyone, remember? It’s faint, since we’re a world away, but I can tell she’s doing alright. I’ll let you and the others know if anything changes, I promise.” 

Karma lets out a breath. “That’s good to hear, thanks.” He doesn’t make a move to bring his hand away, and neither does Gakushuu. The two of them just walk like that for a while, and while a little part of him is groaning in embarrassment, he’s mostly just happy to be with Gakushuu at this moment.

* * *

A couple more days, and the snow fades away completely, leaving a pleasant warmth instead. It’s still dangerous to go just about anywhere that isn’t the central island, but at least now they don’t need to worry about freezing to death on top of everything else. 

After a long day of exploring the marshes on one of the extended islands, Gakushuu returns to find Kayano spread out on the ground, soaking up the sun. 

A smile spreads across his face. “Looks like someone’s working really hard.” 

“The hardest,” she says, sounding content. “After a long day of farming and searching for things, I am so ready to sunbathe for a little while and forget about all my troubles. It’s so nice not to feel the cold anymore.”

“We’re going to get attacked while our guard is down. That’s how these things work, isn’t it?” Still, just laying down for a moment sounds really nice. After a bit of deliberation, Gakushuu lays down next to Kayano and closes his eyes, letting the grass tickle his skin and the warmth of the sun wash over his face. It’s been a while since he could relax like this. 

Kayano punches his arm lightly. “Hypocrite. What was it you just said now?” 

“If you need to ask, then does it really matter?” Gakushuu can almost hear her rolling her eyes next to him. 

The peaceful moment is quickly interrupted by the howling of hounds, which means an incoming attack. Kayano groans and gets to her feet, Gakushuu right behind her. “Guess you were right. Nagisa and Karma should be coming back soon. Let’s get our stuff and get ready.”

The hounds that come after them this time are almost all red hounds, which means fire. Gakushuu and Karma lead them away from their base, while Kayano and Nagisa attack the creatures from behind. 

Gakushuu nudges Karma. “We can lead them into the marsh and let the tentacles do most of the work. Might also keep us from getting as burned.”

“Good idea.” They head in that direction and soon enough are able to pause and catch their breath, watching the hounds and tentacles duke it out, then finishing off the survivors. 

Kayano picks up a spiked club from one of the downed tentacles. “Remember when we used these almost exclusively, cause we didn’t have any of the good stuff we do now? That was a ride. Brings back memories.”

“If you say so.” They hadn't noticed that Nagisa had left, but he returns with the ring thing in his hand. “And now we’re three down, two to go. Let’s hope the other islands aren’t bad, because there’s a good chance they’ll be there.”

It makes sense, since all the other things have been on the different islands, and there’s two they still haven’t explored yet. Gakushuu’s almost itching to find the final things, but reminds himself that it wouldn’t do to run headfirst in there. They haven’t died once since entering Maxwell’s door, and he’d rather not change that just yet.

* * *

They find the crank thing on the next island, and with only one thing left before they can hopefully move on, everyone is getting antsy. Still, Nagisa’s pretty sure he knows why they’re stalling. In case the door won’t let all of them through again, it was a good idea to make sure that the base here was secure, and that everything was set. 

Still, that didn’t mean they were going to talk about it. 

“What are we going to do if only some of us can escape the Constant?” Karma ventures one night, as they’re all curled up in their tent together. “I mean, that’s something we really do need to think about.”

“We can’t just leave Manami behind,” Gakushuu points out. “Even if all four of us can go, someone should stay with her.” Knowing Gakushuu as well as Nagisa does, as well as they all do, he knows the other boy means himself. 

But that seems kind of unfair. Gakushuu’s been stuck here longer than any of them, after all. Nagisa doesn’t think he could ask him to stay trapped while they manage to escape. It feels wrong, even thinking about it. 

“We don’t know if it’ll happen like that yet,” Kayano says, curling up in her furs. “Maybe we’ll be able to go back to get her before we leave.”

Nagisa shakes his head. “And maybe we won’t. Maybe once someone reaches the way home, they can’t go back or they miss their chance. I think if someone does make it, they should take the chance. Maybe not everyone, if Manami really is stuck behind.” He aches just to think about that. “But at least some of us should escape. There’s no reason the others can’t follow later.”

Kayano brightens. “Yeah. Even if we have to start this again, there will be less people going through, so more can fit until the end!”

Karma looks skeptical. “What about Maxwell? Do you think he’d just let everyone go like that?”

“If we beat him up, he won’t have a choice.” 

“Somehow, I doubt it’ll be that easy. This might not even be the way home at all.” Nagisa wonders if Gakushuu was always so pessimistic, or if the years in the Constant did that to him.

“You said this leads to Maxwell yourself, didn’t you?” Kayano fires back.

Gakushuu reels back a little bit. “Yes, but-”

“And we all finally saw Maxwell ourselves, which means he really is getting involved. Whatever this is and wherever it leads, it’s huge. Why shouldn’t it be a way home?”

Nagisa looks at him closely. “Have a little more faith, okay?”

Gakushuu doesn’t respond for nearly a minute, looking between the rest of them. “...Maybe.”

* * *

They find the final thing on the final island, and then it really is time to go once more, carrying as many belongings as they think they’ll be able to manage with them, including their winter clothes from the first ten days. Nagisa stands in front of the activated door, looking at the swirling vortex they never seem to actually step through, and feels that same strange sensation as he did in the last world.

“Only three this time.” Kayano looks around at the rest of them. “How many more worlds do you think we’ll need to go through before Maxwell? Is this how he plans to keep us out?”

“Whittling down the numbers does make sense,” Karma agrees glumly. “But do we really have a choice? How would we even get back to the mainland from this place? He has a point. So far it seems like they can only go further. There’s no backdoor, no escape route, or at least, they haven’t found one yet. 

And they really should keep going. Even if this doesn’t lead home, if it’s anything like the islands, they’ll need to explore just about all of it before they can go back. 

Nagisa’s frustrated with the Constant. He’s tired of dying over and over, of constantly wondering what will happen to him and his friends next. He wants to go _home_. 

But so do the others. And they’ve dealt with this longer.

“You three go ahead,” he tells them. “Out of the four of us, if it’s you three, you stand the best chance of beating Maxwell, and if you guys do go home, I can look after Manami and we can try again later.”

Karma looks him over with worried eyes. “Are you sure?”

“It really doesn’t have to be you,” Gakushuu adds.

“Yeah, I’m positive.” Nagisa gives them all a smile. “Kick Maxwell’s ass for me, okay?”

“We will!” Kayano promises, giving him a big hug. 

Nagisa watches the shadowy hands drag his friends to the next world, and hopes he made the right choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Survivors in the Game: Gakushuu, Karma, Kayano_
> 
> _Worlds until Maxwell: 3_
> 
> And now we're down to the original three. How far can they make it? Thanks for reading, and please review, let me know what you think!


	9. Land of Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The three oldest survivors continue on their journey, trying to make the most of a bad situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are, halfway through the Adventure Worlds! Hope you all enjoy!

Kayano wakes up and shakes the snow off her, already shivering, thankful they decided to bring their colder clothes with them. Around her, her boys start to wake up as well.

 _We left Nagisa behind_. The thought hurts more than the freezing snow. If they did manage to get out, just the three of them, they’d be leaving two of their friends behind, abandoning them to the Constant without the protection the group as a whole gave.

Not to mention this just looked to be another world like the ones before. How many more of these worlds were there? Would it end before they reached Maxwell? Would _any_ of them reach Maxwell? 

As the thoughts cross her mind, the shadows open up and Maxwell pops out… except he looks _different_. His fur lined coat looks more ragged, his hands like dark shadowy claws, his posture more inhuman. He towers over them, sneering. 

“Say, _kiddos_. You’re really pushing your luck. Turn back now, or I may have to resort to drastic measures.” With that, he vanishes again. 

Kayano turns to her boys, who look similarly surprised. “Well that was a bit different.”

A smirk plays it’s way across Karma’s lips. “Looks like someone’s getting a bit nervous.” Kayano grins back. If that warning was any indication, they weren’t just getting on Maxwell’s nerves, they were getting close to something big, something he didn’t want them anywhere near.

Something like a way home.

Gakushuu smiles with them, but his eyes are fixed on the spot where Maxwell left. “Was it just me, or was there something moving behind him when he was there?”

Kayano looks, but sees nothing except snow and evergreens. “I didn’t see anything. What do you think it was?”

“I…” Gakushuu pauses, then shakes his head. “I don’t know. It reminded me of a terrorbeak, I guess, but I’m not low enough on sanity to see them.” He gestures to the Queen Bee ribbon on his wrist. “Maybe I was just imagining it. He did look stranger than ever.”

Karma taps his chin. “I wonder if he doesn’t actually look all that human, and reverts to what he really looks like the more aggravated he gets.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Gakushuu agrees. “But I think for now we need to worry about this winter. We don’t know how long it’ll last in this world as compared to the last one.”

Kayano stands up and dusts the snow off her body. “Think we’ll run into Deerclops in this world? We didn’t last time, but we might get lucky!”

Karma gives his glass cutter sword a few experimental swings. “I hope not. That thing’s a bitch to fight, every single time.” The fact that they don’t have Manami and Nagisa with them to help anymore goes unsaid.

Still, Kayano smiles. “That’s part of the fun! The tougher the enemy, the more exciting things are.” 

Gakushuu shakes his head and pulls out both his bedroll and the materials they stored away for making another tent. “You would say that. Come on, let’s get everything set up. We might have our warmest clothes, but we won’t last long if we can’t get a camp going. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel like breaking our new “not dying” streak anytime soon.”

* * *

There’s a skeleton close to where they started, one that isn’t any of theirs. 

Karma looks at it from a distance as Gakushuu goes to study it’s features. There are some logs scattered around the skeleton, a pixake and some survival tools, and an extremely beaten down axe.

“I can’t tell who this was,” Gakushuu admits, frowning as he stands up. “It’s obviously not one of us, it’s too big and it doesn’t match. Maybe-” He pauses, as if trying to assemble the words right, “-maybe we aren’t the first to have tried to escape the Constant.” 

Kayano gasps. “You think-?” 

“Yeah. When we die, we leave our skeletons behind, and they don’t go anywhere unless we move them. Who’s to say we were the first to come to the Constant?” Something that seems almost like hope sparks in his eyes. “We don’t age, and we don’t die permanently. If there’s no one else around anymore, that can only mean one thing.”

“They got out.” Karma feels like a fire is burning inside him, nervous and excited and ready. They got out, and if there are still traces of them here, that might mean that we can get out too.” 

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kayano’s beaming, bouncing on her heels with excitement, ponytail bouncing up and down. “Let’s get to finding this world’s things, and then we can get the others and get out of here!”

* * *

It continues to snow for the next few days as they get their new camp set up, slowly filling the ground below them. Gakushuu does try and shovel it all away at one point so they can put their tent down on solid ground, but as soon as they’ve placed it down, there’s an inch of snow around said tent.

It’s not as though Kayano isn’t used to this or anything, she’s spent two winters in the snow after all. Still, the first time they were down in the caves, and the next time they were in the shanty. Even the chill of the past two worlds doesn’t compare to this one. 

“I never thought I’d say this,” she announces with a sigh, hanging up their third drying rack and stringing some soon to be jerky on it, “But I kind of miss the islands and their hurricane season. The constant rain was miserable, but at least it wasn’t cold.”

“I’d still prefer the Hamlet over the islands. The tropics got annoying fast.” Gakushuu rubs his hands together by the fire pit, thermal stone heating up right next to him. “It wasn’t the worst part of the Constant, but I really don’t feel like going back there.”

“If we get out of here, we won’t have to,” Karma reminds him lightly, sitting down on the propped up log beside him. Kayano goes to sit across from them, figuring she’d let them have their moment. “Next time we go to the tropics together, we can actually enjoy it without worrying about dying.” 

Gakushuu smiles wanly. “That sounds nice. Not worrying about dying. Imagine that.”

“It’s almost hard to, at this point,” Kayano admits out loud. “Imagining a place where we don’t need to worry about dying. It’s been so long. I mean, in the mainland, we rarely worried about dying for a while before we came here, but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one always looking over my shoulder.”

“You weren’t,” Gakushuu confirms. “And it’s a good thing we did, because you never know what new thing will be thrown at us. If we make it back-”

“When we make it back,” Karma corrects.

“-we won’t have to deal with that. Sure, there will still be a lot of danger. You four with Korosensei, me with the principal, but it won’t be anything like this.”

Kayano stifles an awkward cough. “I don’t think Korosensei and the principal are really that comparable.”

“You’re probably right,” Gakushuu agrees readily. “The principal wouldn’t kill me, just make my life a living hell. Like he always did before, I guess.”

Karma shoots him a sharp look. “You’ve never mentioned that before.”

Gakushuu shrugs. “I haven’t thought about it in a long time.” There’s some emotion that flickers across his face, one that Kayano can’t quite read. “All this talk about maybe getting home is just bringing it back.”

“Well, when we get back, you’ll have us, and all of E Class, to help you out,” Kayano tells him confidently. “Our whole class is a group of assassins, and we’ve made it through the Constant! There’s no way he’s gonna make things hard for you after all we’ve been through. We won’t let him.”

“She’s right,” Karma says, arm around Gakushuu. “We’ve got your back Shuu, always.” 

Gakushuu looks at them gratefully, and although he still seems hesitant, maybe they’ve gotten through to him. “And I’ll always have your backs, no matter what.”

* * *

They find the wooden thing first, but it’s made clear soon after that the other items will be a bit harder to get. As they venture out onto a narrow stretch, using the divining rod to guide them, the path is blocked by talk black obelisks, covering the stretch of land in a line that makes it impossible to get by.

Kayano frowns at them. “Hang on, these look super familiar. Aren’t these things in the Atrium? We always passed by them with the lazy explorers, what are we going to do now?" She hasn’t seen any place where they could get the gems needed, or that station Gakushuu needed to craft them.

“No, not every time.” Gakushuu reaches in his bag and pulls out the three nightmare amulets that had come with them to the different worlds from the mainland. “We used these the first time, remember? We can just put them on, run to the other side, and take them off again.”

He hands them each a necklace. Karma frowns down at his. “Now I remember that. I hated it, it was terrifying.” 

“At least we can just put our ribbons back on now and get better.” Kayano doesn’t like the feel of the amulets when not on the lunar island either, but if they’re going to keep moving and getting more things, she knows they need to do this. 

Kayano pulls off her ribbon and slips on her amulet, and she can barely breathe, everything is so weird and there are so many terrors and crawling horrors and she swings wildly with her cutlass but the horror teleports away and she can see Karma killing the monsters easily with his glass cutter why can’t she do that oh she needs to go through while the obelisks are down she runs and throws the amulet off-

And she can breath and think again. With trembling fingers, she puts her ribbon back on, and the last shadowy figures at the edge of her vision fade away. Gakushuu is already moving, pulling Karma along, who seems most affected by it, and taking off Karma’s amulet for him. 

Karma leans against their friend for support as Gakushuu puts his ribbon back on. “That was - I hate it so much.”

“We all do,” Kayano agrees. “Those things are the worst. If I remember right through, your sword cut through those terrors in like, two hits.”

“Yeah.” Karma looks at his glass cutter curiously. “It’s just like our cutlasses in every other way, but it seemed to take down those things faster.”

“It is connected to the lunar island,” Gakushuu points out, keeping Karma upright. “And that place goes so much in the opposite direction of the shadows we need the nightmare amulets to stay sane there. Maybe it’s some sort of shadow bane?”

“That would be neat.” Karma can finally stand on his own, and Kayano manages to walk over to them. “Let’s find this thing, yeah?” 

Luckily for them, it’s not too far away, so they’re able to take the ring thing and, after another horrible experience with the amulets, get back home before it gets too dark and the night monster comes out. 

In their tent, Kayano curls up with her boys, all three of their thermal stones helping to keep them warm. “Two down, three to go,” she murmurs softly. “We’re getting there.” 

“Yeah.” Karma doesn’t move from his curled up position. “Maxwell’s going to rue the day he brought us here soon enough.” 

“I know we’ve only been gone for a day or so,” and that only gets weirder the longer they’re here in the Constant. Kayano's been here well over four years and not a single day might’ve passed at home. “but do you think anyone is wondering? Maybe Korosensei?”

“I don’t know. I think Nagisa and Sugino had plans, so maybe Sugino’s realized something’s up.” That makes sense. Kayano can imagine Sugino making calls, getting more and more worried when none of them pick up. 

“Maybe he’s called the others, and they’re all wondering now.” If there was any class that would get up in arms about their classmates disappearing, it would be 3-E. 

Karma chuckles softly. “Yeah, I can see that. We shouldn’t keep them waiting long then, right?” 

“Right.”

Facing the other direction in their tent, Gakushuu seems to shift uncomfortably, but Kayano drifts off to sleep before she can ask if anything is wrong.

* * *

Deerclops shows up a few days later, towering over them with his eyeball laser and icy attacks. As soon as they see him, the three grab their stones and run away from their camp to avoid it getting destroyed. Once they’re in the clear, Karma turns and runs around the beast, slicing at its legs in a practiced fashion. 

He’s been fighting this thing for years, after all. Sure, Deerclops is still dangerous, but they all know how to deal with him now.

It would be easier if they had Manami’s long range and magic, and Nagisa’s stealth, but that hurts to think about. It’s much easier to just focus on the battle. 

Gakushuu acts as a distraction, going for frontal attacks, then leaping away from the beast’s claws. It’s reckless to an almost unnerving degree, and Karma hasn’t seen him fight so boldly in years. 

At the same time, Kayano is hacking away from behind, clearly having fun like she always does. It does work - Gakushuu acting as a constant distraction makes it much easier for the two of them to get a lot of good hits in - and soon enough Deerclops falls, leaving nothing but scorch marks and loot behind. 

As they carry the loot back to camp, Karma decides to voice his frustrations. “What was that all about? Weren’t you going on about not breaking our streak when it comes to not getting killed? You almost looked like you wanted to die there.”

Gakushuu frowns. “Of course I didn’t want to die. But I did manage to give you both enough opportunity to take the thing down much faster than usual.” His now pleasant expression almost reaches his eyes. 

Karma narrows his own. “Yeah, sure. But no more doing stuff like that, okay? We don’t want to see you hurt. Think of how Manami would feel.” They both know she wouldn’t be mad, but sad and disappointed, and they also know that’s much harder to bear than anger. 

“Of course.” Gakushuu softens. “You’re right. I’ll be more careful.”

* * *

They finally manage to pass more obelisks, and are able to get their hands on the potato thing. They’ve also found a strange chess and marble-like area where it was clear that someone used to live, but that person is now gone. 

Kayano enjoys seeing things like this. It just emphasizes the fact that they’re on track for getting home. They also have a couple of not-so-fun Krampus attacks, but that does give them more loot and goodies to get by on.

She’s more than ready to get out of here, and not just the Constant as a whole, but these specific worlds as well. Each one has gotten a more off putting feel to it than the last. She figures that’s because they’re getting closer and closer to Maxwell. 

But what will happen if only two of them can go through the next door? She wants to destroy Maxwell for everything he’s done to them, obviously, but should she hang behind like Manami and Nagisa did? 

It feels like a pattern, when she really thinks about it, each of them staying behind in the opposite order of their arrival. Maybe there’s some symbolism in that. Hell, maybe they haven’t realized it, but that’s the way these doors work. Maybe only people who have been in the Constant a certain amount of time can pass, rather than a specific amount of people.

She voices her idea to the other two that night, as they’re sitting in their tent. 

“That… actually does make sense,” Gakushuu says slowly. “A certain amount of experience required, perhaps?”

Karma looks thoughtful. “Not to mention since the things only popped up in the mainland this past year, maybe they are time sensitive.” He turns to Kayano. “But if that’s true, that means you’d be stuck here in this unending winter.” 

“Yeah, that’s going to suck. At least it’s not the aporkalypse or the ruins though, right? I’m sure I’ll be fine.” 

“I don’t like this at all,” Gakushuu admits. “And we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. We’ll just need to test it out when we find all the things in this world.” 

“I could stay behind anyways, I don’t mind.” 

“I feel like we’re almost getting into a defeatist sort of mindset with all this “staying behind” here.” Karma lays back down onto his furs. “Let’s just wait and see, yeah?”

* * *

It’s about a week before they get the final two things, and then they all stand before the door once more. There’s the usual tightness that signifies that not all of them are able to enter is still there.

“You two ready to move on?” Kayano asks them. 

Gakushuu looks conflicted. “I don’t like this. Are you sure you don’t want to go instead of me? We don’t know if our time theory is right, you might be able to.”

“I’m positive.” She gives them both a big hug, and they hug her back, just as tightly. “Have fun you two!” Then she smirks. “Next time I see you both, you’d better have admitted your feelings for each other! Okay, see you!”

“What do you-”

“Hang on, you can’t just-”

“Bye!” With a laugh, she pushes them towards the door, and watches the shadowy hands carry them to what might or might not be the final world. 

Then her smile fades, and she shivers. She’s not looking forward to spending endless winter all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Survivors in the Game: Gakushuu, Karma_
> 
> _Worlds until Maxwell: 2_
> 
> And so we arrive at the final two kids. How will their adventure play out? Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review, let me know what you think!


	10. Two for Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confession, and a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter is up once again! Hope you all enjoy!

This world, Karma quickly realizes, as he regains consciousness, is perfectly warm. 

Then his eyes are immediately drawn to Maxwell, who is standing over them once again. He looks even worse than he did last time, claw-like hands covered in inky darkness, hair all ruffled, and an unraveled sort of expression. 

“Say, pals. Let’s make a deal. You can stay here, settle down, even. I’ll give you food, gold, pigs, whatever you need. All I want in return is a truce.” 

They aren’t able to respond to him, as he disappears again right after. Karma groans and gets to his feet.

“Think he’s a bit pissed off or what?” He takes notice of everything around them. “Oh look! He even left a tent for us, so we don’t have to put one up ourselves. And a fire pit too. How thoughtful of him.”

“This land looks so lush and nice.” Gakushuu seems to take in the berry bushes, trees, and flowers surrounding them. “Someone’s getting a bit desperate. Of course, I’m sure this place has a hidden dark side. We’ll just have to see what that is.” He frowns. “I could’ve sworn I saw that something again.” He looks at Karma, who shrugs and shakes his head. “Oh well. Maybe it’s an instinct thing.”

He doesn’t mention Kayano’s words to them before they went through the door, and Karma is grateful. 

Of course, it’s just the two of them now. It hasn’t been like that in years, and Karma’s not exactly sure what to think. Sure, he’s happy it’s Gakushuu who’s with him right now. It was hard to even think about leaving the others behind, but it’s near impossible to imagine doing the same with Gakushuu.

He just hopes Kayano’s words and his _stupid crush_ don’t make things awkward. Gakushuu’s bound to bring it up eventually, after all.

It’s easy, the way they slip into exploration mode together, each covering the other’s back and making sure nothing happens. It’s almost as though time hasn’t really passed, and it’s still just the two of them working together to survive.

* * *

The land they were dropped off in has everything they need (save for silk, which they thankfully brought), including a massive pig farm, complete with a pig king. It’s no Hamlet, sure, but it’s a good place to get some gold and base near, just in case there was an attack later on. 

“After that mess of winter last time, this feels heavenly,” Gakushuu says, setting up their usual stone walls. His face darkens. “I just wish we didn’t have to leave Kayano there.”

Karma sets down his own stone and sits on the partially constructed wall. “I wish we didn’t have to leave anyone behind in any of those worlds. But moping’s not going to do anything for them, right?” He doesn’t mention how lost he too feels without them. 

It’s funny. He used to be used to being alone. His parents were never home, always on their exotic trips that they never felt the need to include him on. He never had many friends, save for Nagisa, and that friendship had dissolved for a while before being rebuilt in third year. Even in E Class, where he had plenty of friends, he always knew most people were wary around him. Not that he blamed them. He had always enjoyed unnerving others, after all.

But these four were impossible to unnerve, because they had seen much stranger and creepier things. They stuck together, because they were all any of them had. And not only did they accept Karma for who he was, they matched him blow for blow. 

If Karma really wanted to admit it to himself, his friends here in the Constant had become his family, more than his real family had ever been. 

And now they were separated. Sure, they could hopefully go back for the others, but what if they couldn’t? What if this was it, and only he and Gakushuu made it out? Could he live with that? With _himself_? 

“Hey.” Gakushuu grabs Karma’s hands, and Karma’s heart skips a beat. “It’s going to be fine.”

“Suddenly you’re the optimist,” Karma chuckles weakly. “I was about to tell you the same thing. Just got lost in my own thoughts.” 

Gakushuu’s mouth twitches upwards. “I get that. We’ll get everything set here, gather all the things, which are probably in the worst part of this place, and then we’ll talk about it.”

“Why do something now when you can put it off for later, right?” Karma stands up and stretches. “At least this place really is nice. And it seems to have long days! I mean, it should really be dusk by now, even in summer. I bet we can finish this wall before dark, even if it is just the two of us.” 

There’s a glint in Gakushuu’s eyes, and he picks up another stone. “Let’s test that out, shall we?” He goes right back to work, and Karma follows his lead.

* * *

They should be venturing onto the other island that they now know is there. It’s got all the harsher lands, all the monsters, much darker times, and, most important, all the things they need to move on. 

And yet, Gakushuu can’t bring himself to be frustrated with the fact that instead, they’re relaxing under a tree instead. There’s a butterfly that’s landed on Karma’s head, and he’s trying not to move so it won’t fly off, and it’s frankly adorable. Really, how could Gakushuu bring himself to break the moment?

They really do deserve a break, he decides. They haven’t had one since they entered the first world, after all. It’s been constant movement and worry, trying to set up camp again, trying to get food and protection, trying to fight off the cold, as well as actual mobs and monsters. 

This is the first time in weeks that they’ve been able to sit down and relax, without needing to worry about being attacked or finding food or anything else. 

“Is it still there?” Karma asks quietly. 

“Yup. Don’t move a muscle, or it’ll fly away.” Karma stifles a smile.

It’s almost unfair. Kayano could say all she wanted about them figuring out their feelings, but it was almost scarier if Karma really did like him in that way as well. How would they handle that? How would dating even look like here? 

If this worked somehow, and they were able to go back home, how would them dating look like there? He knows Karma isn’t one to care about appearances, and he’s become the same way, since there’s no one to hide things from. But would a relationship built in the Constant even last in the real world?

It would almost be easier if Karma didn’t like(love?) him back. And yet, Gakushuu knows being rejected would hurt just as much, if not more. 

The butterfly finally flies away, and Karma lets out an “Aww” of disappointment. “Guess the little guy got bored. It was cool he stayed that long anyways.”

“Your hair is bright red. He probably thought you were a flower,” Gakushuu points out lightly. Karma huffs.

“Pot calling the kettle black here, Mr. Strawberry hair.” Gakushuu finds himself unconsciously feeling for a strand of hair, and he can hear Karma snickering. 

“Wow. Rude.” But there’s no bite to his words, of course. There hasn’t been any bite in years. 

Did they ever really talk before this? Before they came to the Constant? Gakushuu’s not sure. He doesn’t remember if they did or not, just that he knew of Karma by reputation. And even then, that hasn’t meant anything since Karma arrived, and Gakushuu was so desperate for human company he would’ve accepted anyone. 

“We should get up,” he says eventually, adjusting himself against the tree so his back is more comfortable.”

“Yeah, we should.” Karma yawns, sliding down slightly.

They don’t, of course.

* * *

“This feels like a dangerous thing to be doing,” Gakushuu dryly notes, watching the battle warily. 

“Yes, but it’s fun! If we had popcorn here, I’d _bee_ eating it now.” 

Karma watches his eyebrow twitch. “A pun, really?” But Gakushuu’s lips quirk upwards in amusement. “Wherever we end up after this, I’ll make you some. Constant or real world.”

“That’s why you’re the best!” Among many other reasons, of course. They watch as killer bees, spider warriors, and merms engage in a three way battle, heavy casualties on all sides. There’s going to be a massive pile of loot waiting for them when this is over, which means that on top of locating the wooden thing, this trip is going to let them feast well and get lots of gold. A win-win-win. 

The darker island is tough, sure. There are spiders and killer bees and hounds and all sorts of monsters here. But they’ve got some of the toughest weapons around, as well as some sturdy armor, and years of experience between them. They’ll make it through no problem. 

The fighting is just about done, so they go in and finish off the rest before collecting the rewards. 

They decide to take the long way back, just to see if they can find anything else, and stumble across another skeleton, one that isn’t either of theirs. It doesn’t look like the skeleton in the previous world either - it’s too small.

Gakushuu picks up the lighter lying next to the bones and clicks it. Nothing comes out. “This looks pretty old. I guess it’s another person who got trapped here.” 

“And another person who got out,” Karma adds. “I wonder what they’re doing now, back in the real world?” Maybe when they get back, they could find out for themselves, go searching for others who ended up in the Constant.

* * *

“So it was Korosensei who helped you win that baseball game?” Gakushuu sits next to Karma, basking in the warmth of the fire and looking up at the darkening sky. It isn’t quite nighttime yet, so they don’t need to worry about the night monster.

“Yup. He pitched so fast in practice, it was easy to bunt Shindo’s throws. And Isogai and I had enough practice to dodge his swings with ease.” There’s smugness in Karma’s voice, but he’s earned that, from what Gakushuu remembers. He had watched that game of course, and had taken no small amount of satisfaction seeing his father step in, only to lose. 

“You really pissed him off, you know, the principal. He stormed around the house the rest of the day after that, in a terrible mood. It’s not often that he finds himself losing at something.” 

Karma narrows his eyes. “You said that he makes your life a living hell sometimes. Did he do that after we won?”

“No more than usual.” Gakushuu shrugs. “After all, he lost. I just made sure not to press him on it, otherwise he would’ve spent the entire night listing every time I’ve failed at something throughout my entire life. He’s petty like that.” 

It’s funny, actually. For a long time, he’s felt extremely removed from his father and his home life. Years in the Constant put those memories in the back of his mind, and he was able to relax and not worry about it. But with the possibility of going home… he couldn’t help but reflect. What would his father say to him now?

Karma’s hand is on his now. “I don’t know what that’s like, having him for a parent,” the other boy says, “but my parents are almost never there. They can’t really be bothered with me. So, I do know what it’s like to have shitty parents, even if for a different reason.” He gives Gakushuu a small smirk. “We could have a continuous sleepover at my place, when we get back. Then you won’t have to deal with your dad. It’s not like my folks are around to complain.”

The offer warms Gakushuu all over, and ignites a bit of hope in his chest. Would Karma say that if he didn’t feel the same way? Then again, they had been sleeping with each other long before he realized he was crushing on his friend. “I might just take you up on that.” A thought occurs to him, and he laughs. “Your parents are always gone, my father is near psychotic, Nagisa’s told us horror stories about his mom, and of course Kayano’s talked about Aguri. What is it with us and messed up families?”

“Maybe it’s a requirement for getting into the Constant,” Karma jokes. “No, actually I think Manami’s talked fondly about her parents before, so maybe not. But it might explain how we all bonded so fast.” 

“I wouldn’t be surprised.” They sit in comfortable silence for a moment. 

The Karma speaks again, more hesitant than before. “Shuu, if your dad acted like that for the baseball game, how was he after finals?”

Gakushuu shrugs. “Well, that one he could blame on me, so he wasn’t too insufferable, if I remember right. Just mocked me a lot, especially for that bet. Something about me being a dog on his leash? I don’t remember the specifics.”

“...Yeah, when we get back, you’re staying at my place, not going back there.” Karma sounds firm on that, if a little bit shaken. Gakushuu chuckles. 

“I appreciate it. Really.”

* * *

“You know,” Karma says, as he weaves together some of the prettier flowers together, the box thing laying down next to him, “we haven’t made any flower crowns in a really long time.”

Gakushuu watches him curiously. “We haven’t had the need. We’ve got the ribbons to help with sanity, after all.”

“Sure, but they’re pretty, aren’t they?” Karma finishes off the flower crown and puts it on Gakushuu’s head. “See? You look cuter already.” And then he wills himself not to blush after that stupid comment. “You know, when I first got to the Constant, you were wearing that flower crown, and I thought you looked ridiculous. Little did I know the usefulness of these things, right?”

“Right.” Gakushuu looks amused. “I think we all had those moments when we first got here. Took me days to convince myself to do some of the grittier and more disgusting activities.”

“And then when I got here, you tried to foist them on me.” Karma gives a mock pout, and Gakushuu laughs at him. “Some leader you were.” Some sort of emotion flickers in Gakushuu’s face, too fast for him to catch. “But hey, you did grow into it.”

“You think I was a leader?” Gakushuu asks.

Karma blinks. “Well, yeah. You’ve kinda been the leader this whole time, you know. Don’t tell me you didn’t realize that.”

Gakushuu flushes. “Well, sort of. But I mostly just thought of it as everyone working together. I just had more experience at the beginning, so I wanted to make sure no one made the same mistakes I did.” A smile plays across his lips. “Guess that only worked for Manami.”

“We all kinda screwed up on that one, didn’t we?” Karma chuckles. “Except for her. It was awesome, to finally have someone who actually listened when we told them how not to die at night.” He misses her, and everyone else. But they’ll beat Maxwell and go back and get them all. They have to.

* * *

They score big time on their next trip to the darker island, scoring two of the things needed. With only one thing left before the next world, they should be far more relaxed. 

And yet, Gakushuu can’t shake his uneasiness. He knows deep down that the next door will only allow one person through, one person who will have to face Maxwell alone, without backup from anyone else. 

It should be Karma. His ability let’s him both take and doll out much more punishment than the rest of them, and he has E Class to get back to, even if his parental situation is uneasy like Gakushuu’s is.

But could Gakushuu really do that? Let Karma face Maxwell all on his own? They don’t know what will happen to anyone who faces the Shadow King. What if it’s unlike the rest of the Constant, and he gets hurt beyond repair? What if he can’t come back? If anyone has to face that risk, it should be Gakushuu. 

Not to mention Kayano’s theory about time being the thing that lets a certain amount of them pass through. If that’s the case, Gakushuu’ will be the one to go on either way. 

He’s as frustrated with Maxwell as the rest of them, wants to give their captor a piece of his mind like the rest. But - he doesn’t want to be alone again.

It’s as he’s contemplating this that there’s a sharp pain in his side, spreading throughout the rest of his torso. He feels like he’s burning and freezing at the same time and there’s pain-

And then it fades, and he realizes one of his friends has just died for the first time since they started going through the doors. He reaches out, and realizes it’s Manami who just bit it. He can feel her again now, she’s alright, but he hasn’t felt that in a while, making it a bit more of a shock than it’s usually been.

“Everything alright?” Karma asks, looking concerned.

“Manami died.” He sees Karma’s expression and quickly adds, “She’s alright, she came back like usual. It’s just been a while.”

“Yeah.” Karma helps him to his feet. “Let’s find the last thing, and then go kick Maxwell’s ass, yeah?”

“Right.”

* * *

The door springs up from behind the things, and Karma can immediately tell that only one of them can pass through. He turns to Gakushuu. “Are you all set to go forward?”

“Are you sure?” Gakushuu frowns. “If you want to go on instead, if that’s the only way to get home, I won’t blame you at all.” 

“I’m positive.” Karma smiles. “It has to be you, right? Kinda figured that out a while ago.” Even if it’s just for a little while, he’s going to be without Gakushuu, going to be completely on his own. The thought is nerve wracking, because both of them are about to be alone, and they know it has to happen. “I know you can do this.” 

What if Gakushuu does manage to get home, and Karma never told him how he feels? What if something goes horribly wrong, and Karma’s not there for him? The nervous thoughts keep coming, but he resolutely pushes them aside. There’s nothing they can do. He just has to trust his friend.

There’s a long moment where the two of them just look at each other, hesitant to let the other go. Then Gakushuu seems to steel himself for something. 

“Karma,” he pauses, coughs lightly, and tries again. “Karma, I like you, romantically. I have for a long time. Whatever happens next, I thought you should know.” 

_W-Wait. What?_

Karma almost feels like his brain is short circuiting, he can’t believe what he’s hearing. He opens his mouth, and nothing comes out. And then he sees hurt and uncertainty start to flash across Gakushuu’s eyes the longer he stays silent, and Karma can’t help himself.

He leans in and _oh wow they’re kissing they’re really kissing_. It’s short, but it’s really nice, and Karma kinda wants to do it again, but he doesn’t know if he should, and it doesn’t change the fact that Gakushuu really has to go.

So he pulls back. “We’ll talk about this when we see each other again,” he promises. He doesn’t know what else to say, so he hopes that’s enough. Because if they see each other again, and they will, no matter what, then they can really figure out where this new thing is going. 

Gakushuu looks stunned. Then he gives Karma a beautiful smile, and Karma can’t breathe once again. “We will.” Then he turns, and the shadowy hands are pulling him through the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Survivors in the Game: Gakushuu_
> 
> _Worlds until Maxwell: 1_
> 
> And there we go! How will things change from here on out? What will happen with Maxwell? I hope you're all ready, because Act 2 is drawing to a close next chapter. 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and please don't forget to review, let me know what you thought!


	11. The Dark King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everything goes alright, then _horribly_ wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are! Hope you all enjoy!

Unlike the other worlds, Gakushuu wakes up to find himself in darkness. There are lit campfires surrounding him, but beyond that is in impenetrable black he’s come to associate with the night monster. Right next to him is another skeleton, one of a previous survivor, no doubt.

He sits up, and right on schedule, Maxwell appears, looking even more monstrous, inhuman arms and claws digging into the ground, even as he towers over Gakushuu with his sheer size. The mouth, the eyes - he looks almost more monster than man.

And like the two worlds before, there’s _something_ behind him, some sort of mess of shadows swirling around, watching, _waiting_. For what, Gakushuu doesn’t know. But he’s certain the unease they’ve all been feeling in these worlds comes from Them.

“You insolent, insignificant, pitiful, ant!” Maxwell’s voice is still deep, but it comes out wrong, like someone or something else is behind those words. When he speaks, he shows his teeth, sharp and monstrous. “Do not arouse the wrath of the great Maxwell! You will regret coming any further…”

He disappears. The shadows behind him linger for a moment longer, before they vanish as well. 

Gakushuu gets to his feet. There are lights around, actual ones that burn for a long time, _Maxwell’s Lights_ , that will stay on whenever he’s near them. He’s not sure how long he’ll be here, but it would be smart to set up camp around them, just in case.

He’s really on his own now. No Manami, Nagisa, or Kayano. No Karma. He doesn’t even have Chester with him. He hasn’t been alone like this in years.

There’s a panic, rising in his chest at the thought. He’s alone, he’s really alone. There’s no one to talk to, no one to watch his back, no one to help him or comfort him or be comforted by him, no one to share food with or joke with. Just him.

Just him and Maxwell. 

It was like this in the very beginning, wasn’t it? Just him and the Shadow King. Except then he had no idea where he was, or how the Constant worked. Now he has his cutlass, his supplies, his years of experience, and the drive to help his friends, who he’s become closer to than anyone else in his life.

Because even if there isn’t anything waiting for him in the real world, even if their friendship does fall apart when not in the Constant, he cares about them all so much it hurts. And if they want to get back to the real world, then Gakushuu will do everything he can to make it happen. 

And Karma… Gakushuu shakes his head, touching the corner of his lips briefly. Karma had kissed him, but he hadn’t said he liked him back. Maybe that’s what he meant with the kiss? But maybe he was just playing with the idea. How could he know for sure? Why was this so confusing?

Karma was right, though. They could talk about it when they saw each other again. They _would_. And then Gakushuu would know for certain what he had meant.

He checks the skeleton and it’s backpack first. There’s grass, logs, a fishing pole, a charged miner’s hat, and a notebook with all the pages torn out. 

Gakushuu checks the inside cover. “ _Wilson Higgsbury_.” A western name, like Maxwell. What was this man’s story? How did he escape the Constant? Gakushuu wishes he knew the answers to that, but all he could do now was press forward and find them himself. 

It’s unnerving, being in constant darkness. Usually he tries to get back to a base as soon as dusk starts falling, so he can be comfortably near a fire pit or in his tent when night rolls around. Here though, it’s obvious that there is no day or dusk, just night. If he wants to keep going, he’s going to need to press forward against all his survival instincts. 

Even with the fires, and the miner’s hat on, it almost feels like the night monster is everywhere, surrounding him, ready to move in the moment he steps into the dark. Gakushuu can’t help but shiver, and tries not to think about it. He’ll just need to be careful. 

There’s no point in staying still. After getting a bedroll set up by one of Maxwell’s lights, Gakushuu grabs the divining rod and gets moving, hoping to find the things before too long. He wants to get out of this place. 

He passes by pigmen houses, but all of them are asleep, so they won’t be any help with anything. Luckily the merms are asleep as well, but he doesn’t know if the same will apply to spiders or hounds. He usually tries not to be out after dark, after all, so monster habits are a bit unknown to him. 

It seems as though this world has islands like the others, because there is a narrow rock bridge covered in boulders connecting one place to the other. The divining rod is leading him there, so Gakushuu gets out his pickaxe and gets ready to mine.

* * *

It’s silent. 

There are spiders, yes, and they do come out if he goes too close to their nests. When the amount of spider nests gets to be a bit too much, Gakushuu makes a torch and burns them all down. It gives him lots of light, and the amount of silk he’s able to get is massive, which brightens his mood a little.

But other than that, everything is asleep. There’s the sound of wind whistling through the trees, the sound of his footsteps on the ground, but that’s about it. Every move he makes breaks the silence and makes his nerves stand on end, wondering if he’s attracted anything he shouldn’t have. 

It would be so much easier with someone else by his side, to lessen the danger, to make the silence more bearable. He wishes Karma were here, and it’s only been about a day (although it’s hard to tell the time when the sun never rises). He desperately wants Chester, his oldest companion, by his side again. 

Gakushuu finds the potato thing and stuff it in his backpack, along with the two things he’s already found. He hasn’t seen the wooden thing yet, and that’s where the portal will be set up, so he’s keeping everything with him, just in case.

A sudden pain in his head makes him fall to his knees, his cutlass spilling out of his hand. It’s sharp and blinding, so much so that he can’t think, and then it’s abruptly over. 

_...Kayano just died._

He expected it to happen soon, honestly. He loves Kayano, of course, but he knows how she’ll throw herself into battle for the thrill of it, how she’s ceased being bothered by her own death ages ago. A quick check shows that she’s fine, if a bit surprised, but just like Manami, Gakushuu wasn’t there to help her through it, help her prevent it.

What was the point of his ability if he couldn’t use it to help others? Why did he need to feel their deaths if he couldn’t stop them from happening again?

He reaches out to see if he can still sense Karma. Karma seems to be doing just fine, although when sensing his (friend? Possible boyfriend’s?) feelings, he has his own loneliness reflected right back at him. 

Nagisa feels worried, but not panicked, which is how he usually seems to feel. There’s a bit of disappointment echoing from both Kayano and Manami, but also an odd sense of happiness. Maybe something happened after their death in these worlds? But Gakushuu can still feel them, which means they’re still somewhere on the Constant. 

If that happiness means that they’re doing better, then that’s good enough for now. They’ll be even happier when they can all escape to the real world, of course. 

And Gakushuu refuses to leave unless everyone else can as well. His friends are the only thing he has. He might be the closest to possible exit, but there’s no point in leaving if he leaves alone. If they need to go out one at a time, he’d still rather figure out how to go last. 

He needs his friends. He knows it’s codependent and unhealthy, but he also knows that after a year without human interaction, he was bound to latch onto anyone and everyone that came to the Constant. That’s just how it is now, so he might as well deal with it.

* * *

Gakushuu slides on past the killer bees, collecting the flowers on the ground and trying not to make any noise. He’s sure by now that if he didn’t have his ribbon on him, he would seriously be feeling the effects of lower sanity at this point, and he thought he might’ve heard some hounds yesterday, but they never came any closer towards him. If killer bees was all he had to deal with, then he was doing pretty well for himself. 

As soon as he makes it past, he sets down his bedroll underneath a tall tree within the range of Maxwell’s lights, and closes his eyes. Sure, it’s dark all the time, so it’s hard to tell what his sleep cycle should be, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t need to rest. Gakushuu’s plan so far has been to rest as soon as he starts getting sleepy, so that he’s not so tired as to not wake up if an attack happens. It’s worked out so far, so he’ll continue to do it. 

Just like every “night” before sleeping, Gakushuu checks how his friends are doing. It’s been keeping him going, making sure that they’re okay, that they’re safe enough for now. Even though he’s on his own, and has been on his own for what he assumes is a few days now, his friends are still there. They’re waiting for him to find Maxwell, to take down the Shadow King.

Gakushuu has no idea if he can do it or not. Maxwell seems to control so much about the Constant, can a survivor even beat him? Then again, the skeletons of previous survivors indicate that it’s possible. Not only that, but everyone is counting on him to win. He refuses to let them all down. 

There are lots of fireflies in this world, and a group of them flicker softly next to where Gakushuu has decided to sleep. Even with all this fear around him, there’s something peaceful about this world. 

It’s on that note that he finally manages to rest.

* * *

Gakushuu wakes up screaming, every inch of him feeling as though he’s burning alive (and he knows exactly what that feels like.)

Then it fades, as Nagisa succumbs to his injuries. Gakushuu lets out a shaky breath. He checks again, and Nagisa is fine now, just like the others. Everything is fine. He’s not really gone. 

Three out of the five of them have been killed so far. Karma shouldn’t die any time soon, if he doesn’t go onto the more dangerous island. Gakushuu hopes he won’t at least until someone can come get him. He’s not sure if he can take that - feeling Karma die and not being able to be with him afterwards.

They’ll meet up again. They promised, didn’t they? Gakushuu will do anything to make sure it happens.

A soft inhuman noise draws his attention to the darkness outside the light radius. There, he can almost feel the night monster lying in wait for him. He can almost see it reaching out, as though trying to grab him and pull him towards his doom.

“Go away,” He says out loud, too tired to say much else. He puts on his miner’s hat, turns it on, and continues on his way. The hissing sound follows him, the night monster never stepping into the light, but staying by his side.

* * *

He finds the fourth thing, and knows that all he needs to do now is find the wooden thing, before he’s off to whatever comes next. Will it be another world? Will it be Maxwell himself, after all this time? Gakushuu hopes so. He’s so tired of running through these different worlds, and he doesn’t know if he’s brought enough jerky to support him through a few more worlds like this one, where nothing seems to grow.

The night monster stays by him constantly, always reminding him of its presence, making him hyper aware of his light fuel. He wonders vaguely if the monster might reveal itself around Maxwell, if it’s some sort of final boss out of final bosses. It is a shadowy monster, like the other final bosses have been, after all. 

Still, he can’t do anything to it right now, and it can’t do anything to him as long as he stays in the light, so they’re at an impasse. At first he’s constantly nervous, but as time goes on, he learns to deal with the monster’s presence. 

Another rock bridge, and more dangerous spider dens start appearing. Gakushuu manages to slip through the first few, but as more pop up, he decides to burn them all down again. The night monster is driven away for the moment, and Gakushuu doesn’t have to worry about either light or enemies for a little longer. 

Finally, he finds himself at the wooden thing, on a chess landscape, surrounded by knights, bishops, and rooks. 

Gakushuu has managed not to fight nearly this entire world, but he supposed that would be too good to be true. Before he engages though, he sneaks around, just out of their range of detection, and sets up fire pits around the landscape, so that he can see all the enemies from all directions, and so the night monster won’t interfere, in case it wants to. 

Once everything is set up, he gets started with the knight furthest away from the rest. It notices him and hops forward, extending its neck to try and hit him. Gakushuu dodges, bringing his cutlass sown and severing its head from the rest of its body.

Then, a bishop that just spotted him. The problem with bishops, Gakushuu knows, is that they’re long range attackers, and dodges the several lightning bolts that the piece shoots his way. He can’t get in closer without attracting the attention of all the other pieces, so…

There’s a rook close to him. Gakushuu gets the rook’s attention, then stands in line with the bishop. As the rook begins to charge and the bishop readies itself to fire again, Gakushuu jumps out of the way. The rook crashes into the bishop just as the bishop lets out its next bolt, destroying both pieces. 

There isn’t much time to catch his breath, because there’s another bishop after him. Gakushuu runs towards an incoming knight and stops behind it. Before the knight can attack him, the bishop’s bolt destroys it. 

And the last rook. It charges at him, and he dodges, barely managing to avoid being burned by the bishop as well. He hacks at the rook, keeping it in once place, then moves as it charges. Before it could reach the bishop, it was destroyed by the lightning. 

With only the one piece left, Gakushuu runs forward, making sure to zig-zag and avoid going in a straight line so the bolts wouldn’t hit him. He reaches the clockwork and uses its body as a springboard, jumping up and slicing off the top. The bishop falls into a pile of gears below him. 

With all the enemies taken care of, he stops to catch his breath. There in the center was the wooden thing, ready to be used. He takes all the other things out of his backpack and puts them together. The ominous door appears once again in front of him.

There is no feeling of tightness, no feeling that he couldn’t go through. In fact, it almost feels as though he’s being beckoned forwards. 

The night monster is there, at the edges of the light, waiting. 

Gakushuu does one more check on his friends. All of them seem to be perfectly fine, anxious but hopeful. They’re all waiting for him to end this. 

They shadowy hands reach out and pull him under.

* * *

He wakes up on a stone floor. There’s still complete darkness surrounding everything, but Maxwell’s lights are also everywhere, illuminating the long hallway in front of him. 

This… this might be it. _This could be it!_

Gakushuu moves along the hallway, keenly aware of the uneasy feeling this place gives off, stronger than anywhere else, although it’s tempered with his own excitement and hope. 

He has his cutlass, healing items, armor, whatever he might need. Not to mention the Shadow King is clearly off his game. If he confronts Maxwell now, he might actually win. 

Gakushuu grabs the divining rod and walks slowly down the hallway, eyes out for anything that could show up. There are eyes, figures in the shadows that he can barely see but are obviously there, watching him go. Will he be swarmed? What will happen when he reaches the end of this hall?

He continues forwards, past pillars and marble trees, and slowly music of all things starts getting louder. And not just any music, but a jaunty, happy phonograph tune. Not exactly what he expected. The hall of sorts opens up, showcasing another of those large Maxwell statues, and Gakushuu resists the urge to break it. He doubts much good would come of that. 

The music is loud now, and everything is lit up, including… 

...What?

 _No_.

There in front of him is a phonograph, a placeholder for the divining rod, and large dark and spiked throne, on which a deformed, ragged, and very human looking Maxwell sits, tied down to it by shadows and unable to move. 

“So,” Maxwell says, and although there’s still something inhuman about him, it’s nothing like before, “Is this how it ends? Forgive me if I don’t get up.”

Gakushuu finds his voice. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” 

Maxwell chuckles. It’s a very bitter sound. “Not what you expected, I’m guessing? Of course not. You thought there would be a fight. That I would try and keep you here forever, or kill you for your insolence.” 

“That is kind of what you implied when I was trying to get here.” The phonograph is starting to get on Gakushuu’s nerves, so he goes and turns it off. 

“Thank you,” Maxwell sighs. “I’ve been stuck listening to that same song for ages now.” He meets Gakushuu’s eyes. “You’ve been an interesting plaything, but there’s no point now. They’ve grown tired of me. I’ve been the Shadow King for a very, very long time. I doubt They have any reason to keep me around anymore. Not with someone more interesting to keep Them occupied.” 

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. There was supposed to be a confrontation. Gakushuu was supposed to beat Maxwell and find a way home from there.

Now, all he can find in himself is pity for this man.

“You weren’t controlling the shadows,” he realizes. “They were controlling you.” 

“I’d congratulate your deduction by clapping, but I’m afraid you’ll have to make do without,” Maxwell says dryly. “Yes. The Shadows are the truth behind the Constant. Honestly? I’d let you go if I could. An eternity ago, when I was new to the throne, there were others. Many who I knew from my past life, before entering the Constant myself. I lost myself to the throne for a long time, but they helped me find myself again. Charlie and I helped everyone escape, but we had to stay, because They needed a king, and a monster.”

Gakushuu narrows his eyes. “Then what about all the times you taunted us? Taunted me? That first winter, when you killed me like that. Are you saying that wasn’t your fault?”

“Oh no, that was all me.” A harsh smirk creeps onto the Shadow King’s face. You must understand, I’ve been king here for longer than you can comprehend. Regardless of who I used to be, who I was when it was my friends and family surviving, this is who I am now. Just a broken, bitter old man. I had to find ways to entertain myself somehow.” 

A depressing thought, to be sure. Gakushuu’s mind wanders to those extra skeletons they had seen in the past couple worlds. “Was someone named Wilson Higgsbury one of those people who was trapped here with you?” He wonders.

Maxwell’s eyes widen. “How did you know? I thought all their remains and constructions were gone.” Gakushuu shows him the ripped out notebook. “Ah. I suppose a few things did remain in the stepping stone worlds. Not many got through them, after all, so there was no need to do much clean-up.” 

He sighs. “They’ll show you terrible, beautiful things. It’ll change you, like it did me. It’s best not to fight it.”

“If you hadn’t fought it, wouldn’t all your friends still be here?” Gakushuu points out. “It sounds like fighting it was a good thing.” 

“Hmm. Perhaps.” Maxwell seems to study Gakushuu, and for some reason, the older man’s eyes don’t unnerve him anymore. The knowledge that Maxwell was a survivor just like them changed things, somehow. That didn’t mean everything he did was alright, of course. But… 

“Then couldn’t you at least try and help us? You said they still need a king, so you must have some leverage.”

Maxwell shakes his head. “I’m afraid not. A long time ago, I wielded immense powers over the Shadows. They controlled me, yes, but I was able to control them back. No so, now. I have no interest in keeping you and your friends here, but there is nothing I can do to send you home.” 

Gakushuu steps back, running a hand through his hair and trying not to scream in frustration. “Then that’s it? There’s no way home?” And who is this Charlie that Maxwell mentioned? 

Maxwell doesn’t answer at first. “There wasn’t much here, when I showed up,” he says at last. “Just dust, and the void, and Them. I’ve learned so much since then. I’ve built so much. But even a king is bound to the board. You can’t change the rules of the game. I really don’t know what it is that They want. They just watch.” He smiles grimly. “Unless you get too close, of course. Then… Well, there’s a reason I stay so dapper. What year is it out there anyways? Time moves differently here.”

Gakushuu tells him, and his eyes widen. “I see. No wonder it’s been so long for me. I was curious.” He smiles again. “Go on, stay a while. Keep us company. There’s nowhere else for us to go, after all. Or put the key in the box.” He motions towards the holder for the divining rod next to him. “It’s your choice. Either way, you’re just delaying the inevitable.”

Gakushuu stands there a minute, unsure of what to do. There was no way to get home, according to Maxwell, who had never really been in control. There wasn’t even a way to get back to his friends. He was just stuck here, with Maxwell and the things that watched them from the darkness. 

Still, there had to be a way back to the mainland, at least. This couldn’t be it! 

_Put the rod in the keyhole_ , the Constant responds. He looks at it. It does match up.

He reaches out to feel his friends. They’re all doing fine still. What will he say if he sees them? That it really was hopeless all along? He’s almost afraid to find out. 

There’s nothing else for it. Gakushuu puts the rod in the box, and it fits perfectly. There’s a rumbling sound, and the throne vanishes, freeing Maxwell from his chains. 

Genuine happiness lights the older man’s face as he takes a step towards freedom. Then he freezes, looking utterly horrified, before crumbling into dust, leaving only bones behind. Gakushuu looks blankly at the place where he just was, trying to process what had happened. 

Then something grabs his arms. 

He looks down, and the shadowy hands are there, holding tightly to his arms, and then to his legs. For a moment, Gakushuu pulls back, but it’s futile, and he’s dragged under, into darkness.

* * *

Unlike the past times, there’s seemingly no destination, just the endless void around him… and Them. There’s images in his brain, going too fast for him to comprehend, shadows wrapped around his body, making it impossible to move.

**Finally. We’ve been waiting.**

Gakushuu tries to scream, but nothing comes out. It feels like something is pressing down on him, trying to tear him apart from the inside out. 

**You didn’t think this really was all random, did you? We were waiting for our old king to pass his time. It’s been long enough now.**

**And you were the first, after all.**

He _remembers_. He remembers how he got here.

He remembers the frustration after finals, the anger both at his father and at that damn E Class for ruining everything and making his life harder than it already was, but also at himself, for not doing good enough to beat them all anyways. 

He remembers stewing in his emotions for days after summer started. And he remembers the voice from that old radio, offering something unique, something his father and those E Class students wouldn’t have, something that could make him better than he was.

 _It was his own damn fault he was here_. He had listened without knowing what he was getting himself into, had thought it couldn’t hurt to try, and had been sucked into the Constant as a result. It wasn’t Maxwell that brought him here, _it was himself_. 

**Now you understand?**

**We promised you power, like we did Maxwell. We’ve led you here, so We can fulfill our end of the bargain.**

The instincts he always got, they led him here, They convinced him to-! This whole thing, they weren’t heading towards freedom, they were playing right into the Shadows hands, giving them exactly what they wanted. And Gakushuu had led everyone here.

_No. No, I don’t want that-!_

The panic sets in as he realizes what’s about to happen. He needs to figure a way out, but _there is no way out of this_. Desperately, he reaches out to his friends one last time, knowing his ability was a one way street, knowing they wouldn’t hear him. 

Something sparks on the other end, and there’s a fire inside him now. He pushes back with all his might. 

_I won’t! I won’t play your games, I won’t give in-_

**You think you have a choice? You freed Maxwell, after all.**

**And the Constant _always_ needs a King.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _The Game is over. A new King has been crowned._
> 
> _Survivors in the Constant: 5_
> 
> That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed the story!
> 
> Just kidding. Act 2 is over, and now the third and final Act begins, although updates will most likely be slower again, unfortunately.  
> When it comes to adventure mode in the actual Don't Starve game, when someone reaches the end, they become the new person on the throne, and how could an opportunity like that be passed up for this story? That doesn't mean anyone will take this new development lying down, of course. 
> 
> And in case anyone was curious, Wilson and the other strange skeletons in the past few chapters are all playable characters in the actual game. I thought I’d give them a brief shout out.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed, and please don't forget to review, let me know what you think!


End file.
